Progesterone is believed to be a key factor in miscarriages

Almost 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, often in the first trimester. The reasons can be multiple, and go from the infection to the chromosomal abnormality. However, repeated miscarriages indicate deeper underlying issues. Numerous clinical studies have already been conducted on the subject, and have shown that women with a history of miscarriages can benefit from taking progesterone during the early stages of pregnancy to increase their chances of achieving pregnancy. term. The results of a new study, published in the Journal of Lipid Researchsuggest a link between progesterone and recurrent miscarriages.

According to one study produced by Italian researchers on the influence of progesterone published in 2013, more than 80% of miscarriages occur before the 12th week, after which the rate decreases rapidly. According to their findings, the actual incidence of early spontaneous miscarriages may be higher.

Progesterone, an important hormone

Progesterone is a crucial hormone for pregnancy; it plays a key role in the insertion of the placenta into the endometrium or the lining of the uterus. Thanks to it, the endometrium thickens, the blood circulation is reorganized to provide oxygen and nutrients to the uterus, and the maternal immune system is weakened.

Progesterone is made in the ovary as part of a normal menstrual cycle, which continues after fertilization. The placenta, which produces another hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, also begins to produce progesterone six weeks after the onset of pregnancy. Placental progesterone usually originates from the surface tissue and integrates with the endometrium and to absorb nutrients. Some cells then move into the endometrium, where they help regulate blood flow by reorganizing the arteries.

A team of Austrian researchers, led by Sigrid Vondra and supervised by Jurgen Pollheimer and Clemens Rohrl, compared the cells that stay in place on the surface of the placenta with those that move through the endometrium. They found that the enzymes responsible for the production of progesterone in the two types of cells during early pregnancy are different from each other.

Difference in progesterone levels

Progesterone, a steroid hormone, comes from cholesterol. Although the levels of progesterone production in surface cells and migrating cells are roughly similar, researchers have found that migrating cells accumulate more cholesterol and more express the enzyme that converts cholesterol to progesterone.

The researchers found that the enzyme levels in the migrating cells of the placenta are lower in women who have had repeated miscarriages than in those who have had full term pregnancies. However, the enzyme levels in the surface of the placenta have not shown much difference between healthy pregnancies and miscarriages.

According to the study, the production of progesterone in migrating cells is vital for a healthy pregnancy, and disruption of this process could lead to miscarriage.