Expression of nuclear factor-kappa B and placental apoptosis in pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia: an immunohistochemical study.
Preeclampsia affects 7-10% of all pregnancies, and is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Although enhanced apoptosis is well known in placentas with preeclampsia, the role of transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) in the process is still being debated. In this work, we investigate the relationship between NF-kappa B expression and trophoblastic cell apoptosis in pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) by immunohistochemical analysis of NF-kappa B and three apoptosis related markers: bcl-2, caspase-3, and M30 CytoDeath antibody that identifies early apoptotic changes in the cytoskeleton related to action of caspase. The study was conducted on placental samples from 19 preeclamptic, 5 IUGR-complicated and 10 normal pregnant women. The three conclusions from the statistical analysis of the data are obtained; (i) Significantly higher expression of NF-kappa B in IUGR-complicated (p = 0.003) and preeclamptic placentas (p = 0.004) than the control placentas, (ii) significantly higher M30 index and caspase 3 expression in IUGR and preeclampsia placentas (p = 0.003), and (iii) decreased expression of bcl-2 in IUGR and preeclampsia placentas (p = 0.001). Based on these observations, we suggest that increased trophoblastic apoptosis is at least partially induced by NF-kappa B and reduced bcl-2 expression.
Aban
Meral
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mersin, Turkey. meralaban@hotmail.com
Cinel
Leyla
L
Arslan
Murat
M
Dilek
Umut
U
Kaplanoglu
Mustafa
M
Arpaci
Rabia
R
Dilek
Saffet
S
D017209:Apoptosis; D001724:Birth Weight; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000473:pathology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000473:pathology
D016328:NF-kappa B; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases