Abstract: To investigate the expression of fibronectin(FN)and laminin(LN)in prolonged uterine bleeding after mifepristone induced abortion, 20 specimens from curettage were obtained from 20 women who had prolonged uterine bleeding after termination of early pregnancy by mifepristone and misoprostol. Ten specimens from normal early pregnancy by suction aspiration served as control group. All samples were studied by immunochemical stainning. Trophoblasts or villi were presented in 45% of the cases with prolonged bleeding, and retained decidua cells were shown in 90%. By immunochemical stainning, LM and FN were both significantly expressed around the decidual cells and in the base membrane of blood vessels and glandular epithelium; and also within some of the decidual cells. The expression levels at the three locations had no significant differences between the 2 groups(P>0.05). The result illustrated that the retained decidua cells kept the function of secreting FN and LM, which served as the adhesion molecules to the uterine wall, thus caused prolonged uterine bleeding and postponed the regeneration of endometrium development.

Key words: mifepristone, hemorrhage after medical abortion, decidua, fibronectin, laminin