[The role of trefoil factor family in gynecological disease].

AIM: Trefoil peptides are a family of small proteins that are expressed in a site-specific fashion by certain epithelial tissues. These peptides appear to be important in mucosal healing processes, in neoplastic disease and in human reproduction.

DESIGN

Literature review.

SETTING

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Medical Faculty, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Department of Laboratory Biochemistry, Central Moravian Hospital Trust, Member of Agel holding, Prostějov.

METHODS

Literature review.

RESULTS

Trefoil peptides are aberrantly expressed by a wide range of human carcinomas and gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions. Outside the gastrointestinal tract, members of this group of peptides have also been identified in the normal hypothalamus and pituitary, and in normal breast tissue where it is responsive to oestrogen stimulation. Evidence of peptide expression has been found in a range of urological, gynaecological, gastrointestinal, pulmonary and breast carcinomas. Furthermore, possible associations between recurrent spontaneous abortion susceptibility and genetic varia-tion in the TFF3 gene were shown.Conclusion In the future, serum levels of trefoil peptides might be used as markers for neoplastic and inflammatory diseases, as well as some defects of reproduction.