title: Physiological changes in the pattern of placental gene expression early in the first trimester.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the physiological changes in the placental expression pattern of a panel of genes related to angiogenesis and oxidative stress during the early part of the first trimester of pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of a selected panel of genes was quantified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in samples of villous trophoblasts obtained from women between 6 and 11 weeks of gestation undergoing elective artificial abortion. We found that the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of placental growth factor (PlGF), heme oxygenase 1(HO-1), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased significantly with gestational age (r = .37, P = .001; r = .24, P =.04; and r = .52, P < .001, respectively). Conversely, the mRNA expression level of fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT-1) decreased significantly (r = -.30, P = .009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the early part of the first trimester of pregnancy, the placental gene expression levels of PlGF, HO-1, and SOD increase with gestational age, whereas the expression of FLT-1 decreases. The alteration in this pattern of gene expression in early pregnancy may therefore play an important role in placenta-related disorders such as preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyagami
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koide
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekizawa
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yotsumoto
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okai
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005865:Gestational Age; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics*; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000235:genetics*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; C098069:PIGF protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1