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Published on: October 24, 2025
Expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its receptors in human ovarian follicles from adults and fetuses
Avi Ben-Haroush1, Ronit Abir, Asangla Ao
1Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tikva, Israel. yudavi@inter.net.il
Objective:
To investigate the immunocytochemical expression and presence of mRNA transcripts for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its four receptors (FGFR-1, -2, -3, and -4) in ovaries from human adults and fetuses.
Design:
Immunocytochemical and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) study.
Setting:
Major tertiary care and referral academic centers.
Patient(S):
Nine women and girls undergoing laparoscopic ovarian biopsy and 26 women undergoing second- and third-trimester pregnancy terminations.
Intervention(S):
None.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Microscopic morphometric analysis, immunocytochemistry for bFGF and its receptors, and RT-PCR analyses.
Result(S):
The proteins for bFGF, FGFR-2, FGFR-3, and FGFR-4 were identified in oocytes of all follicular classes. Immunocytochemical expression of bFGF and its receptors was detected in granulosa cells of follicles from adolescents/women but not from fetuses. There was no immunocytochemical expression of FGFR-1. Transcripts of bFGF and its four receptors were identified by RT-PCR in all samples.
Conclusion(S):
The expression of bFGF and its receptors in human ovaries suggests that bFGF might have a role in early folliculogenesis.
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