[Expression of relaxin receptor in placental tissues of normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia].
OBJECTIVE
To study the location and level of relaxin receptor in placenta tissues of pre-eclampsia and normal pregnancy, and the relationship of relaxin receptor with pre-eclampsia.


METHODS
Twenty-six placenta tissue samples from pregnant women with severe preeclampsia (study group), and 20 samples from normal pregnancies (control group) were obtained. We detected the expression of relaxin receptor by immunohistochemistry and the expression of relaxin receptor mRNA by RT-PCR.


RESULTS
In the placenta of control and preeclampsia groups, the leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor (LGR7) was positively expressed. Relaxin receptor was located in the membrane of trophoblast cells. There were both strong signals on cytotrophoblastic cells and syncytiotrophoblast. The level of relaxin receptor in the control group was 0.912 +/- 0.003, and 0.625 +/- 0.037 in the preeclampsia group. The difference between the two groups was obvious (P < 0.01). In the control group, the level of relaxin receptor mRNA was 0.776 +/- 0.021; in the preeclampsia group, it was 0.393 +/- 0.075. The difference was obvious (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Decrease in the expression of relaxin receptor at placenta is related with the occurrence and development of preeclampsia.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100083, China.
Yong-Qing
YQ
Wang
Jun
J
Li
Zi
Z
Yang
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018000:Receptors, Peptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; C033395:relaxin receptors