Gene expressions of keratinocyte growth factor and its receptor in the human endometrium/decidua and chorionic villi

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is secreted from mesenchymal fibroblasts and has a mitogenic specificity for epithelial cells in a paracrine fashion. In order to clarify the biological significance of KGF in the human endometrium which undergoes dynamic changes under the influence of sex steroid hormone, we investigated the gene expressions of KGF and its receptor (KGF-R) in the human endometrium in various sex steroid hormone milieus and chorionic villi, by RT-PCR and Northern blot hybridization. The secretory phase endometrium had a KGF mRNA level 10-fold greater than that of the proliferative phase endometrium. Similarly abundant KGF mRNA was found in decidua and pseudopregnant endometrium compared with proliferative phase endometrium. The KGF-R mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in chorionic villi from early pregnancy. These results indicate that the gene for KGF expressed in the human endometrium is mainly regulated by progesterone and that KGF might have a role in the interaction between decidua and chorion in early pregnancy in man.