<p>This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</p> <p>Laminin-1 is a major component and multifunctional glycoprotein of basement
            membranes that consists of three different subunits, α1, β1 and γ1 chains. It is the
            earliest synthesized network-forming protein during embryogenesis and plays
            an important role in embryonic development, embryonic implantation and
            placentation. We have recently shown that IgG anti-laminin-1 antibodies were
            significantly associated with recurrent first-trimester miscarriages and with
            subsequent pregnancy outcome. Interestingly, these antibodies were also observed
            in patients with endometriosis-associated infertility but not in patients with other
            causes of infertility, including tubal factors, hormonal and uterine abnormalities.
            Laminin-α1, -β1 and -γ1 mRNAs have been detected in 90% of endometriotic lesions
            and all laminin-α1, -β1 and -γ1 chains were localized in the basement membranes of
            glandular epithelium in endometriotic peritoneal lesions. Western blot analysis
            showed that anti-laminin-1 antibodies from those patients reacted with all
            laminin-1's chains. ELISA also confirmed that one of the target epitopes for these
            antibodies was located in a particular region of the laminin-1 molecule, i.e. the
            carboxyl-terminal globular G domain of α1 chain. IgM monoclonal anti-laminin-1
            autoantibody, that we recently established, also recognized the G domain.
            Anti-laminin-1 antibodies from mice immunized with –mouse— laminin-1, caused
            a higher fetal resorption rate with lower embryonic and placental weights. Thus,
            anti-laminin-1 antibodies may be important in development of autoimmune-mediated
            reproductive failures and the
            assessment of the antibodies may provide a novel non-invasive diagnosis of
            endometriosis.</p>
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Clin Dev Immunol. 2004 Sep-Dec; 11(3-4):261-266