Occurrence of growth factors and their receptors in tubal pregnancy-affected tissue

Abstract

Considering that growth factors orchestrate cell growth, differentiation and proliferation, the aim of our study was to determine the occurrence of some growth factors and their receptors in tubal pregnancy tissues. The immunohistochemical distribution of TGF beta 1, bFGF, FGFR, NGF, NGFRp75, IGF-1, IGF-1R was determined semiquantitatively. A Mann-Whitney U test for the non-parametric rank analysis was used to test for differences between the factors. Significance was assumed for a P value of < 0.05. The analysed tissues expressed more FGFR than bFGF (U = 23; P < 0.05). NGF appeared in various structures of fallopian tube and conceptus but NGFRp75 was particularly absent (U = 1; P < 0.05). IGF-1 was widely distributed in both mother and embryo tissues, but IGF-1R only in some of the material (U = 22.5; P < 0.05). It was concluded that TGF beta 1 is absent both in mother and conceptus tissues; fallopian tube tissues express more FGFR than bFGF and suggest the stimulation of compensatory adaptation of the organ and the disturbance of angiogenesis; the presence of NGF in the fallopian tube with absence of NGFRp75 indicates the failure of innervations, angiogenesis and cell interaction; the deficit of IGF-1 and the absence of IGF-1R are suggested to be a result of gestation growth restriction and impaired invasion.