Study of a protein based angiogenic profile in endometrial tissue of women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques - A pilot study

Abstract

Background: Infertility is a common condition nowadays affecting about 10 to 15 percent of reproductive-aged couples. It is defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected intercourses. Infertility treatment is a complex process influenced by numerous factors. Recent advances in assisted reproduction techniques (ART) have provided effective treatment for infertile couples. A large number of independed factors seem to be associated with the success outcome of ART. The aim of this study is to detect the role of angiogenenic factors in endometrial tissue of women who underwent ART. Methods: Eight samples of endometrial tissue from women who underwent ovarian stimulation were analyzed using the Proteome ProfilerTM Human Angiogenesis Array Kit, screening for the presence of 55 soluble angiogenesis-related factors. For the analysis of array’s results, PCA procedure and Mann-Whitney U test ware used. Results: A protein profile based on the expression of a subset of 7 factors could separate the 8 women in 2 groups. Among the group of the 4 patients with the higher expression of the 7 combined factors, 2 pregnancies were observed, while in the other group with the lower expression only a biochemical pregnancy was observed. These findings showed that the expression of angiogenic factors is strongly collerated with pregnancy. Conclusion: In conclusion, we developed an “angiogenic profile” for patients who underwent ovarian stimulation, based on the combination of 7 angiogenic factors, which can be used, after appropriate validation, as a prognostic marker for ART outcome.