Placental expression of insulin-like growth factor-I, fibroblast growth factor-basic and neural cell adhesion molecule in pregnancies with small for gestational age fetuses.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate placental expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), fibroblast growth factor-basic (FGF-b) and neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) regarding the pathogenesis of pregnancies with small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses.


METHODS
An immunohistochemical analysis using anti-IGF-I, anti-FGF-b and anti-N-CAM antibodies was carried out on 4% paraformaldehyde-fixed placental tissues of third trimester pregnancies complicated with SGA fetuses (n=12) and subjects exhibiting appropriately grown fetuses (n=10). Immunostaining patterns of chorionic villi and amniochorionic membranes were assessed.


RESULTS
IGF-I, FGF-b and N-CAM immunostainings in chorionic villi demonstrated significantly increased immunoreactivities in cytotrophoblasts of SGA cases, whereas increased IGF-I immunostaining in syncitiotrophoblasts and increased N-CAM immunostaining in capillary endothelium were noted in the same group. IGF-I, FGF-b and N-CAM immunostainings in amniochorionic membranes revealed significantly decreased IGF-I immunoreactivities in extravillous trophoblasts and increased IGF-I immunoreactivities in decidual cells of SGA cases, while significantly decreased N-CAM immunoreactivities in both decidual cells and extravillous trophoblasts were noted. FGF-b immunostaining revealed no significant differences in both extravillous trophoblasts and decidual cells of SGA cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased placental expression of IGF-I, FGF-b and N-CAM may act in an autocrine and/or paracrine manner to restore the impaired trophoblastic proliferation, migration and metabolism at all gestational stages by means of a positive feedback mechanism.
Ozkan
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey. sozkan1972@yahoo.com
Vural
B
B
Dalçik
C
C
Taş
A
A
Dalçik
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism*; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
D019002:CD56 Antigen; C522918:NCAM1 protein, human; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I