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Updated: Oct 2, 2026
Methods for Studying Uterine Contributions to Pregnancy Establishment in an Ovariectomized Mouse Model
Published on: April 7, 2023
A corpus luteum is not a prerequisite for the expression of progesterone induced blocking factor by T-lymphocytes a
J H Check1, J Szekeres-Bartho, P Nazari
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, USA.
Purpose:
To determine if production of the immunomodulatory protein, progesterone induced blocking factor (PIBF), requires merely progesterone or whether other factors made by the corpus luteum are required.
Methods:
The percentage of peripheral lymphocytes expressing PIBF was determined by obtaining a blood sample from women 9-12 days after embryo transfer. The embryos were either fresh ones following hyperstimulation and oocyte retrieval or were frozen-thawed embryos. Preparation for frozen embryo transfer required corpus luteum suppression with exogenous estrogen. The percentage of lymphocytes expressing PIBF was determined by an immunocytochemistry method.
Results:
PIBF expression (>1%) was found in 20.5% of COH and 13.3% of frozen embryo transfer cycles. There either was a significant difference or a trend for higher pregnancy rates when PIBF expression was detected.
Conclusions:
These data corroborate previous conclusions that PIBF is detected in a minority of women in the late luteal phase. A corpus luteum is not required for its expression.
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