Lack of varied endometrial expression of proprotein convertase 6 in infertile women with minimal grade endometriosis and idiopathic infertility.

Objective: Proprotein convertase 6 (PC6) is known to be the key enzyme involved in the transformation of many hormones, cytokines and their receptors into their active forms. Experimental in vitro studies have also proven that lack of PC6 in the endometrium prevents decidualisation. Therefore in our study we have aimed at determining whether infertility in some patients might be attributable to decreased expression of PC6.

Material And Methods: With the use of RealTime PCR we have studied the expression level of PC6 in receptive phase endometria from 36 idiopathic infertile patients, 26 infertile patients with minimal grade endometriosis and compared those results with fertile, age-matched controls. The endometria were collected 7-9 days after ovulation.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences regarding the expression of PC6 in endometria from patients with idiopathic infertility, infertile patients with endometriosis and controls.

Conclusions: Since there is no detectable difference in PC6 expression, the decreased expression of PC6 is unlikely to cause infertility.