Placental SEMA3B expression is not altered in severe early onset preeclampsia

Semaphorin-4C is upregulated in epithelial ovarian cancer

The present retrospective study aimed to investigate the expression of semaphorin-4C (Sema4C) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and to determine the association between Sema4C expression and patient clinicopathological characteristics. Sema4C mRNA expression was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the tissues of 74 cases of EOC, 20 cases of ovarian epithelial benign tumor, 20 cases of ovarian borderline epithelial tumor and 15 cases of normal ovarian tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression and localization of Sema4C. The association between Sema4C expression level and patients clinicopathological characteristics was determined by χ² test. The results demonstrated that Sema4C expression level in ovarian epithelial carcinoma tissues was significantly higher compared with that in benign tumors, borderline epithelial tumors and normal ovarian tissues (P<0.05). In addition, Sema4C expression in ovarian cancer tissues was significantly associated with the clinical and pathological stages of tumors (P<0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that Sema4C expression was upregulated in EOC.

SEMA3B but Not CUL1 as Marker for Pre-Eclampsia Progression

Background

An imbalance between pro- and anti-angiogenic factors contributes to impaired trophoblast invasion during pregnancy, leading to failure of uterine spiral artery remodeling, blood vessel ischemia, and pre-eclampsia (PE). Anti-angiogenic semaphorin 3B (SEMA3B) and pro-angiogenic cullin 1 (CUL1) are expressed in both the placenta and maternal blood. The present study investigated correlations between serum and placental SEMA3B as well as CUL1 levels in late-onset PE.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 50 patients with late-onset (≥ 32 weeks gestation) PE. Maternal serum was obtained before delivery, and placentas were obtained immediately after delivery. SEMA3B and CUL1 levels were evaluated by ELISA. Results were statistically analysed by Spearman correlation test, with a P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results

While elevated serum SEMA3B levels significantly correlated with increased placental SEMA3B levels in late-onset PE (R = 0.620, P = 0.000), alteration of serum CUL1 levels did not correlate with alteration of placental CUL1.

Conclusion

Alteration of circulating maternal SEMA3B, but not CUL1, levels can potentially be used to monitor PE progression during pregnancy.

Suppression of Fgf2 by ETS2 repressor factor (ERF) is required for chorionic trophoblast differentiation

ETS2 repressor factor (ERF) is a ubiquitous transcriptional repressor regulated by Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation. Homozygous deletion of Erf in mice blocks chorionic trophoblast differentiation, resulting in the failure of chorioallantoic fusion and subsequent embryo death. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is important for proper trophoblast stem cell (TSC) differentiation and development of the hemochorial placenta. Lack of Fgf2 promotes TSC differentiation, while FGF4 or FGF2 is required for murine TSC maintenance. Here, we show that low in vivo Fgf2 mRNA abundance occurs in patches of placental chorion cells and ex vivo in TSCs. This expression is repressed via direct interaction of ERF with the Fgf2 transcription unit is increased in the absence of ERF, and is decreased in the presence of an ERF mutant resistant to ERK phosphorylation. Thus, FGF2 inhibition by ERF appears to be necessary for proper chorionic TSC differentiation, and may account for the block of chorionic trophoblast differentiation in Erf-knockout animals. The differentiation of ERF-overexpressing TSC lines also suggests that ERF may have an FGF2-independent effect during the commitment towards syncytiotrophoblasts.

Alteration of serum semaphorin 3B levels in preeclampsia

BACKGROUND

Placental Semaphorin 3B (SEMA 3B) expression has been reported changed in preeclampsia and its possible involvement of in the disease proposed. We clarified the alterations of maternal SEMA 3B level in women suffering preeclampsia and pregnant women at gestational weeks of 16-20 before the onset of preeclampsia.

METHODS

Serum SEMA 3B concentration was measured with ELISA in preeclamptic women (preeclampsia) and normotensive women (control) in 3rd trimester, and also in pregnant women at gestational weeks of 16-20 who developed preeclampsia or had favorable pregnant outcome.

RESULTS

Serum SEMA 3B level was significantly increased in preeclampsia compared with control (P<0.001). There was a significant difference in serum SEMA 3B between mild and severe preeclampsia (P=0.04). Women with severe preeclampsia had significant serum SEMA 3B than women with mild preeclampsia. At gestational weeks of 16-20, serum SEMA 3B was significantly higher in women who developed preeclampsia than women who had normal pregnant outcome (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal SEMA 3B level increased in preeclampsia before the onset of manifestations, indicating that SEMA 3B plays a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Down-regulation of placental neuropilin-1 in fetal growth restriction

BACKGROUND

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with adverse outcomes extending from fetal to adult life, and thus, constitutes a major health care challenge. Fetuses with progressive growth restriction show increasing impedance in the umbilical artery flow, which may become absent during end-diastole. Absent end-diastolic flow (AEDF) is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes including stillbirths and perinatal asphyxia. Placentas from such pregnancies demonstrate deficient fetoplacental vascular branching. Current evidence, moreover, indicates an antiangiogenic state in maternal circulation in several pregnancy complications including preeclampsia, small-for-gestational-age births, fetal death, and preterm labor. The angiogenic mediators in maternal circulation are predominantly of placental origin. Information, however, on the role of specific proangiogenic and antiangiogenic mechanisms operating at the placental level remains limited. Elucidation of these placenta-specific angiogenic mechanisms will not only extend our understanding of the causal pathway for restricted fetal growth but may also lead to the development of biomarkers that may allow early recognition of FGR.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to test the hypothesis that fetoplacental angiogenic gene expression is altered in pregnancies complicated with FGR and umbilical artery Doppler AEDF.

STUDY DESIGN

Placental samples were collected from FGR pregnancies complicated with umbilical artery Doppler AEDF (study group, n = 7), and from uncomplicated pregnancies (control group, n = 7), all delivered by cesarean during the last trimester of pregnancy. Angiogenic oligonucleotide microarray analysis was performed and was corroborated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. The Student t test with Bonferroni correction was used with P < .05 considered statistically significant. Independent groups t test was used to analyze the immunostain intensity scores with a P < .05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Our microarray results showed that among several differentially expressed angiogenic genes in the growth-restricted group, only the down-regulation of neuropilin (NRP)-1 was most significant (P < .0007). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed a significantly lower NRP-1 gene expression in the FGR group than in the control group (mean ± SD (ˆ)cycle threshold: 0.624 ± 0.55 and 1.325 ± 0.84, respectively, P = .04). Western blot validated significantly lower NRP-1 protein expression in the FGR group than in the control group (mean ± SD NRP-1/β-actin ratio: 0.13 ± 0.04 and 0.34 ± 0.05, respectively, P < .001). Finally, immunohistochemistry of placental villi further corroborated a significantly decreased expression of NRP-1 in the FGR group (P = .006).

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated significant down-regulation of placental NRP-1 expression in FGR pregnancies complicated with AEDF in umbilical artery. As NRP-1 is known to promote sprouting angiogenesis, its down-regulation may be involved in the deficient vascular branching observed in FGR placentas suggesting the presence of an antiangiogenic state. Further studies may elucidate such a causal role and may lead to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools.