Significance of Interleukin Converting Enzyme/Caspase-1 in Endometrium and Decidua

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The control of arachidonic acid metabolites production, such as prostaglandin (PG) production, has been described to act major roles in various aspects of reproductive physiology, i.e., implantation of embryo, maintenance of pregnancy, labor and delivery. Since the inducible type of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), the key enzyme of PG production, is induced by interleukin-1 (IL-1) in decidua and endometrium, the present study aimed the significance of interleukin-1 converting enzyme/Caspase-1 in these tissues.As the results, decidual tissues showed the presence of interleukin-1 converting enzyme/caspase-1 immunohistochemically which suggested the possible involvement of the enzyme in transformation of pro IL-1 to IL-1 in decidua. However, there was no significant variance between the samples collected at the times with and without labor.On the other hand, we investigated recurrent implantation failure after embryo transfer in our IVF/ICSI program. Within these cases, through laboratory tests revealed the presence of the cases with Sjogren syndrome, that is well-known syndrome characteristic of apoptosis in exocrine glands of whole body, implying the possible involvement of Caspase system and Fas/FasL system. Since these cases are effectively treated with the administration with predonisolone, we might have found an appropriate models for the investigation for implantation failure in terms of local regulation of PG production in endometrium.