title: Fetal gender specific expression of tandem-repeat galectins in placental tissue from normally progressed human pregnancies and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The tandem-repeat type galectins, which comprise of gal-4, -6, -8, -9, and -12, form a sub-family of galectins. Gal-6 is expressed only in rodents, whereas the other four galectins, tandem-repeat galectins, are also detectable in human tissue. The placental expression of individual members of the tandem-repeat gal family is increasingly known, however, systematic, comparative analysis especially in the human placenta from normal or pathological pregnancies is still lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within this study, third trimester placentas obtained at delivery (n = 14 IUGR, n = 15 controls, equally divided in placentas from male and female fetuses) were analyzed for the expression of gal-4, -8, -9 and -12 by immunohistology and immunofluorescence, data were obtained by using a semiquantitative scoring system. Double immune-fluorescence with trophoblast specific markers was used to identify co-expression in the decidua.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified dysregulation of tandem repeat galectins in IUGR placentas with a strong connection to the fetal gender. We identified a significantly lower expression of gal-4 and gal-9 in villous trophoblast tissue of IUGR placentas with male fetuses and a downregulation of gal-4 and gal-8 in extravillous trophoblast (EVT) from IUGR and male fetuses. Conversely, expression of gal-9 and gal-12 was higher in EVT of IUGR cases in placentas with female fetuses. Double immunofluorescence using cytokeratin-7 confirmed the expression of tandem-repeat galectins in EVT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The human placenta expresses tandem-repeat type galectins in villous trophoblasts, EVT, endothelial cells and decidual stromal cells. Summarizing all effects, there is significant down-regulation of gal-4, -8 and gal-9 in the IUGR trophoblast of male fetuses. In contrast, in IUGR pregnancies with female fetus gal-9 and gal-12 are upregulated in the EVT and in endothelial cells in the cases of gal-12. Therefore we propose a fetal-gender specific action of tandem repeat galectins in IUGR placentas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hutter
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knabl
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Andergassen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Thalkirchner Str. 142, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahner
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Hamburg, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arck
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Maistraße 11, 80337 Munich, Germany. Electronic address: udo.jeschke@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism*; D037161:Galectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012737:Sex Factors; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins
keywords: Decidua; IUGR; Placenta; Tandem-repeat galectins; Trophoblast