Examination of the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in placenta villi from sufferers of pregnancy induced hypertension

Molecular Changes on Maternal-Fetal Interface in Placental Abruption-A Systematic Review

Placental abruption is the separation of the placenta from the lining of the uterus before childbirth. It is an infrequent perinatal complication with serious after-effects and a marked risk of maternal and fetal mortality. Despite the fact that numerous placental abruption risk factors are known, the pathophysiology of this issue is multifactorial and not entirely clear. The aim of this review was to examine the current state of knowledge concerning the molecular changes on the maternal–fetal interface occurring in placental abruption. Only original research articles describing studies published in English until the 15 March 2021 were considered eligible. Reviews, book chapters, case studies, conference papers and opinions were excluded. The systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases identified 708 articles, 22 of which were analyzed. The available evidence indicates that the disruption of the immunological processes on the maternal–fetal interface plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of placental abruption. The features of chronic non-infectious inflammation and augmented immunological cytotoxic response were found to be present in placental abruption samples in the reviewed studies. Various molecules participate in this process, with only a few being examined. More advanced research is needed to fully explain this complicated process.

Levels of microRNA-181b and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 are associated with hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy

The aim of the present study was to explore the association between the expression of microRNA (miRNA)-181b and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the placental tissue of pregnant females with a hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP). Placental tissue samples were obtained from 48 patients with HDCP and 40 females with a normal pregnancy. The levels of miRNA-181b and PAI-1 mRNA were determined by the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression of PAI-1 protein was analyzed by western blotting. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were transfected with the pEGP-miRNA-181b plasmid using Lipofectamine^® 2000. Transfection efficiency was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. The levels of miRNA-181b in the placental tissue of patients with HDCP were lower than those in the control group, whereas the levels of PAI-1 mRNA in the placental tissue of patients with HDCP were higher than those in the control group. The expression of the PAI-1 protein in the HDCP group was higher than that in the control group. Following transfection of VSMCs with plasmid pGCMV/EGFP/miRNA-181b, the levels of PAI-1 mRNA were reduced while the levels of miRNA-181 were upregulated. Furthermore, the expression levels of PAI-1 protein were lower than those in the control group. The levels of miRNA-181b and PAI-1 mRNA were strongly associated with HDCP. Thus, miRNA-181b may play an important role in the regulation of PAI-1. PAI-1 and miRNA-181b may be novel biomarkers to be used in HDCP therapy.