ABSTRACT. Telomerase plays a critical role in cell proliferation and senescence, but the exact involvement of endometrial telomerase in recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is unknown. We collected endometrial biopsies from RIF patients (N = 30) and fertile women (N = 30). Real-time PCR was performed for detecting changes in telomerase reverse transcriptase (Tert), ER alpha, and PR expression at the transcript level, and the correlation between the variable expressions of these genes was tested using regression analysis. Then, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression profiles of TERT and ER alpha at the protein level. Compared to the control, Tert expression was substantially increased, whereas ER alpha expression significantly decreased in the endometrium with RIF. No change was observed in PR expression. Tert expression was inversely associated with ER alpha expression. TERT protein expression in RIF patients was also clearly elevated, and was localized to both the endometrial epithelium and stromal cells. However, the signals for ER alpha in the stromal cells were weaker than those in the control. Expression of endometrial telomerase was substantially enhanced as ER alpha decreased in RIF patients during the implantation window.

ABSTRACT. Increasing evidence shows that TIM-1 and TIM-3 influence chronic autoimmune diseases, and their expression levels in immune cells from nephritic patients are still unknown. Real-time transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to determine expression levels of TIM-1 and TIM-3 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 36 patients with minimal change glomerulopathy (MCG), 65 patients with lupus nephritis (LN), 78 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), 55 patients with membranous nephropathy (MN), 22 patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN), 26 patients with anaphylactoid purpura nephritis (APN), and 63 healthy controls. TIM-3 mRNA expression significantly decreased in PBMCs from nephritic patients (LN, P < 0.0001; MCG, P < 0.0001; MN, P = 0.0031; CGN, P = 0.0464; IgAN, P = 0.0002; APN, P = 0.0392) compared with healthy controls. In contrast, there was no significant difference in TIM-1 mRNA expression between the patients and the healthy X.Z. Cai et al. 6544©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (2): 6543-6548 (2015) controls. Our results suggest that insufficient expression of TIM-3 mRNA may be involved in the pathogenesis of nephropathy.