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Characterisation of vitamin D-related molecules and calcium-sensing receptor in human Fallopian tube during the menstrual cycle and in ectopic pregnancy

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Abstract

This is a prospective observational study that measures the expression of vitamin D (VD) metabolising and signalling molecules and Ca2+ sensing receptor (CaSR) in human Fallopian tube (FT) during the menstrual cycle and ectopic pregnancy (EP). Fresh FTs were obtained during total abdominal hysterectomy at the follicular (n = 16) and midluteal (n = 16) phases. Specimens from remote and implantation sites as well as trophoblastic tissues were also freshly collected from each FT with EP (n = 10). All women had normal serum VD and ionised Ca2+. The expression of VD synthesising (CYP27B1) and catalysing (CYP24A1) enzymes, binding protein (VDBP), receptor (VDR), retinoid X receptor (RXR) and CaSR was measured by immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR. All molecules, except VDBP, were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in midluteal compared with follicular samples. Remote EP sites showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower expression of CYP27B1, CYP24A1, VDR and RXR and a higher expression of VDBP and CaSR (P < 0.05) compared with midluteal samples. Significant differences were observed by immunohistochemistry between implantation and remote sites from EP for all molecules, which were also localised in the trophoblastic tissues. In conclusion, VD and calcium are under cycle-dependent regulations within human FT and they appear to play a role in tubal biology through paracrine/autocrine mode of signalling. Furthermore, EP was associated with alterations in the expression of all the studied molecules by the tubal epithelium. Further studies are needed to explore the roles of VD in tubal biology and pathogenesis of EP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Al Abdeyah, Holy Makkah, PO Box 7607, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Bassem Refaat, Jawwad Ahmad, Shakir Idris & Ahmed Mohamed Ashshi

  2. Pathology Department, Clinical Laboratories, Maternity and Children Hospital, Ministry of Health, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Fadi Fayez Kamfar

  3. Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Maternity and Children Hospital, Ministry of Health, Al-Aziziyah, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Sarah Abdullah Batwa & Faizah Ahmed Malibary

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  1. Bassem Refaat
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  2. Jawwad Ahmad
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  3. Shakir Idris
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  4. Fadi Fayez Kamfar
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  5. Ahmed Mohamed Ashshi
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  6. Sarah Abdullah Batwa
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  7. Faizah Ahmed Malibary
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Correspondence to Bassem Refaat.

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This project was funded by the National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan (MARRIFAH), King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Award Number (11-MED2067-10).

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Refaat, B., Ahmad, J., Idris, S. et al. Characterisation of vitamin D-related molecules and calcium-sensing receptor in human Fallopian tube during the menstrual cycle and in ectopic pregnancy. Cell Tissue Res 368, 201–213 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-016-2519-2

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