title: Clues to apoptosis pathway involvement in hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme, and low platelet (HELLP) syndrome and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The neurotrophin family comprises molecules involved in growth, differentiation, survival, regeneration, normal functions of the neuronal system, and in angiogenesis. We have investigated the expression pattern of neurotrophic signaling molecules in pregnancies complicated by elevated liver enzyme, and low platelet (HELLP) syndrome and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Placentas from normal and pathological pregnancies were collected. Macroarray analysis was performed and the data were confirmed by real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Real-time PCR analyses (pathological vs. normal pregnancies) confirmed a significant down-regulation for IL-6, STAT3α, STAT3β, and Bcl-2. The expression of Mcl-1 isoform 1 (long) was significantly increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that decreased expression of IL-6 could mean that abnormalities in the immunological system function involve inflammatory cytokines other than IL-6 in examined pathological pregnancies. The STAT3α and STAT3β down-regulation lead to a marked reduction of cellular transcriptional activity. Decreased expression of IL-6 is associated with a down-regulation of Bcl-2 but not of Mcl-1 isoform 1, suggesting that these two antiapoptotic proteins may function independently and that Mcl-1 may have a distinct role in controlling apoptotic pathway.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cecati
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sartini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: Stefano R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Giannubilo
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: Piergiorgio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stortoni
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saccucci
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Tranquilli
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emanuelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human