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. 2010:2010:437528.
doi: 10.1155/2010/437528. Epub 2010 Jul 12.

Effects of assisted reproduction technology on placental imprinted gene expression

Yukiko Katagiri  1 , Chizu Aoki, Yuko Tamaki-Ishihara, Yusuke Fukuda, Mamoru Kitamura, Yoichi Matsue, Akiko So, Mineto Morita
Affiliations

Effects of assisted reproduction technology on placental imprinted gene expression

Yukiko Katagiri et al. Obstet Gynecol Int. 2010.

Abstract

We used placental tissue to compare the imprinted gene expression of IGF2, H19, KCNQ1OT1, and CDKN1C of singletons conceived via assisted reproduction technology (ART) with that of spontaneously conceived (SC) singletons. Of 989 singletons examined (ART n = 65; SC n = 924), neonatal weight was significantly lower (P < .001) in the ART group than in the SC group, but placental weight showed no significant difference. Gene expression analyzed by real-time PCR was similar for both groups with appropriate-for-date (AFD) birth weight. H19 expression was suppressed in fetal growth retardation (FGR) cases in the ART and SC groups compared with AFD cases (P < .02 and P < .05, resp.). In contrast, CDKN1C expression was suppressed in FGR cases in the ART group (P < .01), while KCNQ1OT1 expression was hyperexpressed in FGR cases in the SC group (P < .05). As imprinted gene expression patterns differed between the ART and SC groups, we speculate that ART modifies epigenetic status even though the possibilities always exist.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Gene expression of placental tissue. ART versus SC in AFD birth weight cases. ART: assisted reproductive technology. SC: spontaneous conception. AFD: appropriate-for-date. Results of gene expression analysis compared with the endogenous control GAPDH. In AFD birth weight cases, gene expression patterns were similar in both the ART and SC groups.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Gene expression of placental tissue. ART versus SC in FGR cases. There were no differences in the gene expression of IGF2; however, H19 expression was significantly reduced in FGR cases both in the ART and SC groups compared with the AFD birth weight cases (P < .02 and P < .05, resp.). Conversely, KCNQ1OT1 was hyperexpressed in FGR cases in the SC group (P < .05), while CDKN1C expression was reduced in FGR cases in the ART group (P < .01).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Gene expression in placental tissue. FGR and birth weight ≥3500 g cases in the SC group. H19 expression was significantly reduced in FGR cases, but significantly enhanced in cases with a birth weight of ≥3500 g (P < .01).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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