Upregulated HMGB1 levels in maternal–fetal interface of patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion from different sources

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the expression and sources of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein in the maternal–fetal interface of patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA), and further to verify the role of HMGB1 in the etiology of URSA.

Methods

55 women at early pregnancy with URSA and 55 women undergoing selective termination of normal early pregnancy as control were included. The abortion tissues including villi and decidua were collected. The expression of HMGB1, CD45, CK7, and vimentin in abortion tissues was detected, and the localization and sources of HMGB1 were analyzed.

Results

Infiltrating immune cells and expression of HMGB1 were significantly increased in villi and decidua in URSA group compared with those in the control group. In the URSA group, HMGB1 was colocalized with the CD45-labeled immune cells, and it was more obvious in decidua than in villi; in addition, HMGB1 was colocalized with the vimentin-labeled decidual stromal cells, but not with the CK7- labeled villous epithelial cells.

Conclusion

High expression of HMGB1 in the maternal–fetal interface in URSA patients was actively secreted by the infiltrating immune cells, and decidual stromal cells may passively release HMGB1 during necrosis.

Keywords:

• Maternal–fetal interface
• HMGB1
• immune cell
• decidual stromal cell

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province [Grant no. 1908085MH244], the Natural Science Foundation of the Anhui Higher Education Institution [Grant no. KJ2019A0285], the Open Project Fund of Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics [Grant no. 9021490201], the Nonprofit Central Research Institute Fund of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences [Grant no. 2019PT310002], and the University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province [Grant no. GXXT-2019-044].