[Study on relationship between serum cholylglycine and placental apoptosis in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the possible mechanism of placental dysfunction in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).


METHODS
Serum level of cholylglycine (CG) in 30 cases with ICP (ICP group) and 27 normal pregnant women (control group) was examined by radio-immunoassay before delivery. bax and bcl-2 level in placenta was detected by immunohistochemistry method.


RESULTS
(1) Serum CG level in ICP group was (51.8 +/- 5.9) micro mol/L, and in control group it was (9.4 +/- 5.6) micro mol/L. The difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.05). (2) bax expression level in syncytiotrophoblast of ICP group was: 2(-), 9(+), 11 (++), 8(+++), and bcl-2 expression level was: 12(+), 12(++), 6(+++); bax expression level in control group was: 9 (-), 13(+), 4(++), 1(+++) and bcl-2 expression level was: 3(+), 4(++), 20(+++). bax expression level in syncytiotrophoblast of ICP group was higher than that of the control (P < 0.0005), and bcl-2 expression level was lower than in the control (P < 0.0005), both significantly. A significant positive correlation between CG level and bax expression level and a negative correlation between CG and bcl-2 were found in ICP group (P < 0.005, P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
One of the possible mechanisms involved in placental dysfunction of ICP is overexpression of bax in syncytiotrophoblast caused by high concentrations of bile acid, leading to increased apoptosis.
Zhao
Ya-Juan
YJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
Yue
Ya-Fei
YF
Liu
Xiao-Qin
XQ
Li
Shu-Hong
SH
Liu
Zhao-Yang
ZY
Wang
Yu
Y
D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002780:Cholestasis, Intrahepatic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006000:Glycocholic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D006000:Glycocholic Acid