Relationship between TLR4 and MCP2 expression levels and habitual abortion

Habitual abortion is associated with the altered expression of multiple genes. This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and monocyte chemotactic protein 2 (MCP2 or CCL8) and habitual abortion. This was done by detecting and comparing their relative expression in peripheral blood and placental villi of patients and healthy fertile women. Based on our previous research, 85 subjects with habitual abortion (study group) and 40 healthy fertile women (control group), who were admitted to our hospital between June 2013 and December 2014, were enrolled in this study. After these subjects signed written informed consent, peripheral blood samples and villous tissues were collected, from which the total RNA was extracted. The expression of TLR4 and MCP2 was detected with quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, using GAPDH as a reference control. The expression of TLR4 and MCP2 in the peripheral blood and villous tissues of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). A positive correlation was also observed between the changes in expression levels of TLR4 and MCP2. In conclusion, TLR4 and MCP2 expression correlated with the occurrence of habitual abortion. Detecting expression changes in TLR4 and MCP2 in the peripheral blood is a feasible method for predicting the occurrence of abortion in women of child-bearing age.