title: Differential expression of nestin in normal and pre-eclamptic human placentas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nestin is a type VI intermediate filament protein originally described in neural stem cells. Recent reports have documented nestin expression in endothelium of newly formed blood vessels and suggested its role as a marker of capacity for neovascularization and angiogenesis in endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential expression of nestin in normal and pre-eclamptic human placentas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Placental tissues from 12 women with severe pre-eclampsia and 15 gestational age-matched normotensive women were collected at the time of their cesarean section. Western blot analysis for each placental tissue was performed for nestin quantification. Immunohistochemical staining was employed to localize nestin-positive cells and to investigate differential staining intensity in each placental cell.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nestin expression was detected in all of the normal and pre-eclamptic placental tissues by Western blotting. Compared with the normal placentas, tissues from severe pre-eclamptic placentas showed higher expression of nestin (p<0.001). Nestin immunoreactivity was localized only to endothelial cells of chorionic villi. However, mesenchymal connective tissue cells, cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts, and decidual cells did not reveal any specific signal for nestin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that the capacity for neovascularization and angiogenesis in endothelial cell is increased in pre-eclamptic placenta compared to that from normal pregnancy. Such changes may be a compensatory mechanism for the reduced maternofetal exchanges and long-lasting fetal hypoxia in pre-eclamptic pregnancy. Furthermore, these changes in endothelial cells of chorionic villi in pre-eclamptic pregnancy may give an explanation for fetal response to pre-eclamptic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Han-Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Nam-Hoon
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yong-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Maeng
authors.forename: Myung-Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yong-Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young-Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin