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Endometrial protein PP14: a new test of endometrial function?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2009

T Chard*
Affiliation:
Department of Reproductive Physiology, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, UK
F Olajide
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, London Hospital Medical College, London, UK
*
Professor T Chard, Department of Reproductive Physiology, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK.

Extract

The human endometrium produces a number of proteins which are at least partly specific to that tissue. Two of these proteins have been the subject of much recent work. They were originally called ‘placental protein 12’ and ‘placental protein 14’ (PP12 and PP14) because they were isolated by Hans Bohn from extracts of whole placentae. However, it is now clear that they arise from the maternal endometrium (decidua) rather than the fetal trophoblast. Placental protein 12 has been shown to be identical to the insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1). It is produced in many normal tissues and its measurement probably does not provide a specific index of endometrial function. By contrast, PP14 is detectable only in ‘reproductive’ tissues and, in theory, might be an excellent clinical test of endometrial function.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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