Immunohistochemical evaluation of apoptosis inducing factor in missed abortion after IVF

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis is involved both in the cyclic transformation and the functional activity of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle. Upon the onset of pregnancy, apoptosis is an important component of the placentation process. Moreover, changes in the apoptosis-inducing factor expression in the gravidar endometrium may lead to peculiarity both of trophoblast differentiation and the gestation course, regardless of the conception method. AIM: to study the expression of apoptosis-inducing factor in abortive material in non-developing pregnancy after IVF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histological and immunohistochemical analysis of the apoptosis-inducing factor expression were performed in 77 gravidar endometrium samples in patients with IVF pregnancy loss at 5–8 weeks and in 15 aborted materials that were received after abortion at similar week progression of pregnancy. RESULTS: Significant decrease in the expression apoptosis-inducing factor in gravidar endometrium of the control group was revealed in comparison with the same parameter of the main group regardless of gravidar endometrium transformation variation. The highest expression apoptosis-inducing factor was detected in the main group gravidar endometrium that consists secretive and proliferative glands and incomplete gravidar transformation of the stroma. CONCLUSIONS: High apoptosis-inducing factor expression both in the complete and incomplete gravidar transformation of the endometrium in aborted material after IVF pregnancy loss indicates the pathological apoptosis activation. Thus, the pathological apoptosis initiation occurs even before pregnancy onset in patients with infertility, endometrial dysfunction and chronic inflammatory process in the endometrium.