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Frank Reister, John C.P. Kingdom, Peter Ruck, Klaus Marzusch, Wolfgang Heyl, Uli Pauer, Peter Kaufmann, Werner Rath, Berthold Huppertz
Altered protease expression by periarterial trophoblast cells in severe early-onset preeclampsia with IUGR
Keywords: Endovascular trophoblast invasion, intrauterine growth restriction, leukemia inhibitory factor, macrophages, matrix-metalloproteases, periarterial trophoblast cells, placental bed, preeclampsia, uterine natural killer cells, uteroplacental arteries
Adaptation of uteroplacental arteries in patients with early-onset preeclampsia combined with IUGR is compromized due to insufficient invasion of extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT) into the spiral artery wall. The underlying molecular mechanisms are widely unknown. We investigated expression and possible mechanisms of regulation of different matrix-metalloproteases (MMPs) by EVT in placental bed biopsies from patients with early onset preeclampsia combined with IUGR and healthy pregnant women. Expression of MMP-3 and MMP-7 by EVT was markedly reduced in preeclamptic patients, especially close to spiral arteries. In contrast to healthy pregnancies these cells strongly expressed the receptor for leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). LIF is known to suppress MMP-expression and is produced by uterine natural killer (uNK) cells which we found to be present in higher concentrations in the placental bed of preeclamptic patients, and accumulating aside the spiral arteries. We speculate that in preeclampsia a maternal immune cell network accumulating and interfering in the placental bed leads to an altered cytokine environment, resulting in disturbed trophoblast cell function such as impaired MMP expression and reduced invasiveness.
Journal of Perinatal Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1619-3997
Volume: 34, 08/2006
Pages: 272 - 279