title: Inflammation modulates LC3 expression in human preterm delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autophagy is an inducible intracellular process acting under stressor conditions, such as infections, inflammation and hypoxia. The aim of the present study was to analyze autophagy expression in preterm delivered human placenta.
  
  
  METHODS
  Autophagy marker LC3 was analyzed in 25 consecutive human placentas delivered before 34 weeks of gestation, analyzed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time PCR, according to the histologic classification of preterm delivery (PTD) (cases with or without placental inflammatory lesions).
  
  
  RESULTS
  LC3 expression was observed both in cases with and without inflammatory lesions. In cases with histological inflammation, strong immunoreactivity for LC3 autophagic marker was observed in the inflammatory cell infiltration composed by neutrophils. In all PTD cases, trophoblastic cells in chorion laeve express LC3, with variable staining intensity: a significant reduction of LC3 expression was observed in chorion laeve of PTD with histological inflammation compared to PTD without inflammatory lesions. Moreover, the decrement of LC3 staining was observed to be associated to the increasing severity of the histological signs of fetal inflammatory response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show that the expression of LC3 varies depending on different histological features, indicating an interesting and possibly clinically relevant relation between autophagy expression levels and the inflammatory status.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , San Paolo Hospital Medical School, University of Milan , Milan , Italy and.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Avagliano
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , San Paolo Hospital Medical School, University of Milan , Milan , Italy and.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.affiliation: b Department of Woman , Mother and Neonate, Buzzi Children's Hospital, Biomedical and Clinical Sciences School of Medicine, University of Milan , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zullino
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , San Paolo Hospital Medical School, University of Milan , Milan , Italy and.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , San Paolo Hospital Medical School, University of Milan , Milan , Italy and.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Woman , Mother and Neonate, Buzzi Children's Hospital, Biomedical and Clinical Sciences School of Medicine, University of Milan , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrazzi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , San Paolo Hospital Medical School, University of Milan , Milan , Italy and.
authors.forename: Gaetano Pietro
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bulfamante
mesh_terms: D001343:Autophagy; D000071183:Autophagy-Related Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002823:Chorion / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000071183:Autophagy-Related Proteins; C477012:MAP1LC3A protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins
keywords: Autophagy; chorioamniotic membranes; placenta; preterm birth