title: The Expression of Notch/Notch Ligand, IL-35, IL-17, and Th17/Treg in Preeclampsia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the interaction of Notch/Notch ligand with Th17/Treg, cytokines IL-35 and IL-17 in cases of preeclampsia (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood was obtained from 42 PE patients and 22 health pregnant women. The mRNA expressions of Notch/Notch ligand, Treg transcription factor FoxP3 and Th17 transcription factor RORγt, EBI3 and P35 (IL-35 two subunits), and IL-17 were determined by qPCR. The serum levels of IL-17 and IL-35 were measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was observed that the expressions of Foxp3, EBI3, and P35 in PE patients were lower compared with normal pregnancy, whereas the RORγt expression was significantly increased. The results also demonstrated that PE patients exhibited decreased levels of Treg-related cytokine IL-35, whereas IL-17 was significantly increased. PE patients expressed higher levels of Notch receptor (1-4) and Notch ligand of DLL4, whereas Notch ligand of Jagged-1, -2 was much lower. Furthermore, the levels of FoxP3 T cells correlated positively with Jagged-2. In addition, there were positive correlations between the mRNA level of IL-17 and DLL4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated that maternal immunological changes may reverse maternal tolerance in PE, and this phenomenon may due to the Th17/Treg imbalance affected by Notch/Notch ligand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Zhenjiang, No. 20 Zhengdong Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Xinzhi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Zhenjiang, No. 20 Zhengdong Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China.
authors.forename: Tinmei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Zhenjiang, No. 20 Zhengdong Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China.
authors.forename: Huaying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory of Medicine, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Zhenjiang, No. 20 Zhengdong Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China.
authors.forename: Wenlin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated People Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China.
authors.forename: Songlan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicine, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Zhenjiang, No. 20 Zhengdong Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicine, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Zhenjiang, No. 20 Zhengdong Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212001, China.
authors.forename: Liangping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000097:blood*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D020381:Interleukin-17; D007378:Interleukins; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3; D051880:Receptors, Notch; C532417:interleukin-35, human