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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Immuno-endocrine interactions in early pregnancy
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, INSERM CJF 92-09, Hospital Béclére, Clamart, France.
Insights
Women with recurrent implantation failure show significantly lower leukaemia inhibiting factor (LIF) production. This factor is crucial for early pregnancy signalling and may be a target for improving IVF success rates.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Immunology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Cytokine Biology
Background:
- Inflammatory cytokines play a critical role in early pregnancy implantation.
- Leukaemia inhibiting factor (LIF) is a key cytokine involved in embryo implantation.
- Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) affects numerous women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the production of LIF in women with RIF.
- To explore the role of TH2 cytokines in normal pregnancy and spontaneous abortion models.
- To assess potential therapeutic interventions for pregnancy loss.
Main Methods:
- In-vitro culture of human decidual explants.
- Measurement of LIF production in infertile women and controls.
- Analysis of TH2 cytokine profiles in murine pregnancy models.
- Evaluation of tau interferon treatment effects.
Main Results:
- LIF production was significantly lower in women with RIF compared to normal.
- TH2 cytokines, essential for normal pregnancy, were deficient in a murine model of spontaneous abortion.
- Alloimmunization and tau interferon injection corrected the cytokine deficiency in the murine model.
Conclusions:
- Reduced LIF production is a potential factor contributing to RIF in IVF.
- TH2 cytokine deficiency may underlie spontaneous early pregnancy loss.
- Tau interferon shows promise as a therapeutic agent for preventing pregnancy loss.
Abstract:
First we recall briefly the status of inflammatory cytokines in the early implantation period. We then describe the status of leukaemia inhibiting factor (LIF) production in an in-vitro, relatively short-term, human decidual explant culture system. We show that in most infertile women with recurrent implantation failure following successful in-vitro fertilization, LIF production is statistically much lower than normal. Other parameters of LIF production in vitro are summarized briefly, and the effects of RU486 are shown. The TH2 status of normal pregnancy is described, together with the production of TH2 cytokines by decidua and placenta. These cytokines are deficient in the CBAXDBA/2 model of murine spontaneous early pregnancy loss. The defect can be corrected by alloimmunization, and more importantly by the injection of tau interferon. The significance of these data for early pregnancy signalling is discussed.
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