Publications by authors named "Parameswaran Grace Lalitkumar"

(1) Background: Endometriosis is a highly prevalent gynecological disease affecting 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. miRNAs may play a role in endometriosis, though their exact function remains unclear. This study aimed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in endometriosis and study their functions in the disease.

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Pericytes are versatile cells integral to the blood vessel walls of the microcirculation, where they exhibit specific stem cell traits. They are essential in modulating blood flow, ensuring vascular permeability, and maintaining homeostasis and are involved in the tissue repair process. The human endometrium is a unique and complex tissue that serves as a natural scar-free healing model with its cyclical repair and regeneration process every month.

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Progesterone receptor antagonism is gaining attention due to progesterone's recognized role as a major mitogen in breast tissue. Limited but promising data suggest the potential efficacy of antiprogestins in breast cancer prevention. The present study presents secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial and examines changes in breast mRNA expression following mifepristone treatment in healthy premenopausal women.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and enduring influence on global health, including maternal and fetal well-being. Evidence suggests that placental dysfunction is a potential consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, which may result in adverse outcomes such as preeclampsia and preterm birth. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear, and it is uncertain whether a mature placenta can protect the fetus from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Study Question: Which genes regulate receptivity in the epithelial and stromal cellular compartments of the human endometrium, and which molecules are interacting in the implantation process between the blastocyst and the endometrial cells?

Summary Answer: A set of receptivity-specific genes in the endometrial epithelial and stromal cells was identified, and the role of galectins (LGALS1 and LGALS3), integrin β1 (ITGB1), basigin (BSG) and osteopontin (SPP1) in embryo-endometrium dialogue among many other protein-protein interactions were highlighted.

What Is Known Already: The molecular dialogue taking place between the human embryo and the endometrium is poorly understood due to ethical and technical reasons, leaving human embryo implantation mostly uncharted.

Study Design Size Duration: Paired pre-receptive and receptive phase endometrial tissue samples from 16 healthy women were used for RNA sequencing.

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Study Question: Is the composition of microRNAs (miRNAs) in uterine fluid (UF) of women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) different from that of healthy fertile women?

Summary Answer: The composition of miRNAs in UF of women with RIF is different from that of healthy fertile women and the dysregulated miRNAs are associated with impaired endometrial receptivity and embryo implantation.

What Is Known Already: It has previously been demonstrated that the miRNAs secreted from endometrial cells into the UF contribute to the achievement of endometrial receptivity. Endometrial miRNAs are dysregulated in women with RIF.

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Context: Clinically used endometrial (EM) receptivity assays are based on transcriptomic patterning of biopsies at midsecretory endometrium (MSE) to identify the possible displacement or disruption of window of implantation (WOI) in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). However, biopsies are invasive and cannot be performed in the same cycle with in vitro fertilization embryo transfer, while uterine fluid (UF) analysis is considered minimally invasive and can immediately precede embryo transfer.

Objective: To determine whether UF proteome can be used for WOI monitoring and whether it would highlight the etiology of RIF.

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The complexity of endometrial receptivity at the molecular level needs to be explored in detail to improve the management of infertility. Here, differential expression of transcriptomes in receptive endometrial glands and stroma revealed Ectonucleotide Pyrophosphatase/Phosphodiesterase 3 (ENPP3) as a progesterone regulated factor and confirmed by various methods, both at mRNA and protein level. The involvement of ENPP3 in embryo attachment was tested in an in vitro model for human embryo implantation.

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Objective: To study the role of a synthetic insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) antagonist, picropodophyllin, for mouse preimplantation embryo development in vivo and in vitro.

Design: In vitro and in vivo study.

Setting: Hospital-based research unit.

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