title: Placental gene expression of inflammatory markers and growth factors--a case control study of obese and normal weight women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To survey the placental gene expression of inflammatory markers and growth factors in non-smoking obese women with an uncomplicated pregnancy without associated morbidity and delivery at term compared with normal weight women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Placental tissue samples from 32 obese women (body mass index, BMI≥35.0 kg/m2) were compared with samples from 94 normal weight women (BMI 18.5-25.0 kg/m2) matched for age (±1 year), gestational age (±3 days), parity and mode of delivery. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyse toll receptor-2 and -4, interleukin-6 and -8, tumour necrosis factor-α, leptin, adiponectin, insulin-like growth factor-1 and -2, hepatocyte growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor receptor and insulin receptor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in gene expression in placental tissue samples from obese and normal weight women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no difference in the occurrence of inflammatory marker and growth factor mRNA levels in placental tissue samples from a large group of obese women without associated morbidity and with healthy infants compared to a closely matched control group of healthy normal weight women. Compared with the previous studies, this anomalous finding may be explained by the absence of associated morbidity in the obese women in our study.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allbrand
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bjorkqvist
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ostlund
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins