Role of telocytes in the pathogenesis of ectopic pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of telocytes on tubal motility in ectopic pregnancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included patients with ectopic pregnancy (EP) (n=10) and control patients (n=10) (partial salpingectomy for contraception). Immunohistochemical staining for c-Kit, vimentin, CD34 and S100A was performed to quantify telocytes in the mucosa, muscular layer and serosa of fallopian tubes of control and EP group. Spontaneous and KCl-(80 mM) induced contraction and cumulative progesterone dose-relaxation (10(-11)-10(-5) M) and cumulative oxytocin dose-contraction (10(-10)-10(-4) M) responses were recorded. RESULTS: The groups were comparable in terms of age, gravida, parity, delivery type and gestational week (p>0.05). The homogenous distribution of telocytes in the mucosa and muscular layers of the control group, changed to heterogeneous localization the EP group. Immunohistochemical staining with vimentin, S100A, c-Kit and CD34, revealed increased telocyte counts in the muscular layer and serosa of the tubal tissues of EP. The frequency of the spontaneous contractions was higher in the control group (p<0.001); contrarily, the amplitude of the contractions was higher in ectopic pregnancies (p<0.001). Although the cumulative oxytocin dose-contraction curves were similar at all concentrations (p>0.05), the cumulative progesterone dose-relaxation curves exhibited higher relaxation response in the EP group at all concentrations (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Increased telocyte count in the fallopian tube may decrease tubal motility and may affect the transfer of the blastocyst to the uterus and possibly contribute to the pathogenesis of EP.