title: Pre-eclampsia is associated with elevated CXCL12 levels in placental syncytiotrophoblasts and maternal blood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Placental derived vasculogenic/angiogenic substances in maternal blood are dysregulated in pre-eclampsia. We hypothesized that CXCL12, a chemokine with vasculogenic actions, is amongst such molecules.
  
  
  METHODS
  CXCL12, CXCL16, CXCR4, and CXCR6 immunolocalization in placental tissue was analyzed in pre-eclampsia (n=8) in comparison to controls (n=8). CXCL12, measured by ELISA in blood, in women diagnosed with pre-eclampsia (n=14) and prior to the development of pre-eclampsia (at 20 weeks' gestation, n=20) was compared with CXCL12 concentrations in gestation-matched, healthy control subjects (n=34).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In placental tissue, syncytiotrophoblast staining for CXCL12 was increased in pre-eclampsia. Maternal serum CXCL12 was increased in pre-eclampsia [2000 (SD 402) vs 1484 (SD 261)pg/ml, P=0.01] but not in plasma obtained at 20 weeks of gestation prior to the onset of pre-eclampsia [1183 (SD 336) vs 1036 (SD 144)pg/ml, P=0.09].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that the syncytiotrophoblast contributes to a pre-eclampsia-associated increase in CXCL12 levels in maternal blood. These findings support the hypothesis that an imbalance of angiogenic factors contributes to the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.
authors: Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States. schanz@unikid.de
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Schanz
authors: Virginia D
authors: VD
authors: Winn
authors: Susan J
authors: SJ
authors: Fisher
authors: Marion
authors: M
authors: Blumenstein
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Heiss
authors: Alexandra P
authors: AP
authors: Hess
authors: Jan S
authors: JS
authors: Kruessel
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Mcmaster
authors: Robyn A
authors: RA
authors: North
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D042501:Angiogenic Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000075743:Chemokine CXCL16; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism; D000075744:Receptors, CXCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000378:metabolism; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D042501:Angiogenic Proteins; C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; C423727:CXCL16 protein, human; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; C106330:CXCR6 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D000075743:Chemokine CXCL16; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D000075744:Receptors, CXCR6; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger; D011991:Receptors, Virus