X-chromosome Inactivation Patterns in Korean Women with Idiopathic Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) defines as two or more consecutive losses at ≤20 weeks of gestation and affects an estimated 1 of every 100 couples wishing to have children. However, it remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Recent reports observed a significant association between highly skewed X chromosome and RSA, supporting that X chromosome inactivation might be an important and previously unknown cause of RSA. X-inactivation pattern, using polymeric X-linked women with idiopathic RSA and 80 control subjects with a single successful pregnancy and no history of spontaneous abortion. The ratio of heterozygotes was 68.2% (45/66) in women with RSA and 67.5% (54/80) in control group. Among 45 informative RSA cases, only 1 (2.2%) woman showed extreme skewed X inactivation (≥90%) and 4 (8.9%) had mild skewed inactivation (≥85%). In 54 heterozygous control subjects, 5 (9.3%) women showed extreme skewed X inactivation and 7 (13.0%) had mild one. The frequency of skewed X inactivation between RSA patients and control group was not significantly different (p>0.05). This finding suggests that skewed X chromosome be not associated with unexplained RSA patients

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) modulates prostaglandin production and the natural IL-1 receptor antagonist inhibits ovulation in the optimally stimulated rat ovarian perfusion model

The rat ovarian perfusion model with bursa removed and intact was used to further characterize the effects of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and the natural IL-1 receptor anatagonist (IRAP) on ovulation, steroidogenesis, and prostaglandin production