Gene expression in chorionic villous samples at 11 weeks of gestation in women who develop pre-eclampsia later in pregnancy: implications for screening.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the gene expression profile in chorionic villous samples (CVSs) of women destined to develop pre-eclampsia (PE).


METHODS
Case-control study encompassing five women destined to develop PE [cases matched for gestational age with 30 controls]. We quantified mRNA expression on tissue samples from CVS of normal and PE patients. We then assessed mRNA expressions of cathepsin (CTSD), angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2), interleukin 8, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10, neurokinin B (NKB), matrix metallopeptidase 9, major histocompatibility complex, class I, C (HLA-C)and human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G). Data were analyzed by nonparametric rank analysis.


RESULTS
For all the mRNA species considered in this study, except CTSD and ANGPT2, all the mean observed ranks in the PE group were significantly altered compared with the rank expectation among controls. mRNA for NKB and HLA-C were the markers with the highest degree of aberration in PE, compared with those in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study has directly showed that gene expressions relating to trophoblastic cell invasion or utero-placental hemodynamic adaptation are altered in the first trimester trophoblasts that go on to develop PE later. These results posit the use of residual CVS as a possible screening method for PE.
Division of Prenatal Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. antonio.farina@unibo.it
Antonio
A
Farina
Cinzia
C
Zucchini
Paola
P
De Sanctis
Danila
D
Morano
Akihiko
A
Sekizawa
Yuditiya
Y
Purwosunu
Takashi
T
Okai
Nicola
N
Rizzo
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000378:metabolism*; D015193:Chorionic Villi Sampling; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000235:genetics