Glucocorticoid-Induced Upregulation of HLA-G
An in-vitro study evaluating whether dexamethasone and hydrocortisone can enhance HLA-G transcription and protein expression in trophoblast-derived and non-trophoblast cell lines.
This in-vitro study examined how glucocorticoids modulate HLA-G expression, a key molecule in maternal–fetal immune tolerance, using JEG-3 (HLA-G–positive), JAR, and K-562 (HLA-G–negative) cell lines. Dexamethasone and hydrocortisone produced clear dose- and time-dependent increases in HLA-G mRNA and protein levels exclusively in JEG-3 cells, as shown by RT-PCR, qPCR, Western blotting, and flow cytometry. No induction occurred in HLA-G–negative lines. These findings suggest glucocorticoids may enhance HLA-G only when basal expression is present, with potential therapeutic relevance in recurrent miscarriage.
Figure 1. Effect of increasing glucocorticoid doses on HLA-G mRNA expression.