Dissociation between increased apoptosis and expression of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha system in term placental villi with preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse in situ the placental expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), its receptors TNFRp55 and TNFRp75, and apoptosis in normotensive and preeclamptic pregnancies.


METHODS
We simultaneously analyzed the immunostaining of TNF-alpha, its receptors and apoptosis in term placentas of 15 patients with preeclampsia and 15 normotensive pregnant women as controls.


RESULTS
In normotensive villi TNF-alpha and TNFRp75 were expressed more in syncytiotrophoblasts than cytotrophoblasts or stromal cells, and were almost absent in endothelial cells. TNFRp55 was expressed uniformly in all types of placental cells. Apoptosis was more marked in syncytiotrophoblasts than cytotrophoblasts. In preeclamptic trophoblasts apoptosis was exaggerated whereas expression of TNF-alpha and its receptors remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
Placental expression of TNF-alpha and TNFRp75 appear inter-adaptative and follow the same pattern, whereas TNFRp55 and TNF-alpha appear independent. In addition, the exaggerated apoptosis of preeclamptic trophoblasts may be dependent on factors other than the TNF-alpha system alone.
Kharfi
Abdelaziz
A
Département d'Obstétrique-Gynécologie, Centre Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. abdelaziz.kharfi@usherbrooke.ca
Bureau
Marc
M
Giguère
Yves
Y
Moutquin
Jean-Marie
JM
Forest
Jean-Claude
JC
D017209:Apoptosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D053319:Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D053319:Tumor Necrosis Factor Decoy Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C069521:recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-binding protein-1