Altered expression of angiogenesis-related placental genes in pre-eclampsia associated with intrauterine growth restriction

Abstract

Aim. The normal endovascular invasion of trophoblast cells and spiral artery remodeling are impaired in pre-eclampsia. Neither the circulating factor secreted by the placenta nor the cause of the widespread endothelial dysfunction in pre-eclampsia has yet been identified. In an attempt to identify novel factors, we performed a gene expression profiling study of placental tissue from women with and without pre-eclampsia.

Material and methods. The study group comprised two pre-eclamptic patients with intrauterine growth restriction while the control group comprised three healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Gene expression was studied using Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2 micro arrays. We focused on genes associated with angiogenesis. Some of the micro array analysis results were verified using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Results. Gene expression profiling revealed that the expression level of nine genes – ECGF1, JAG1, Palladin, COL18A1, TNFSF12, VEGF, ANPEP, PDGFRA and SERPIN12 – was downregulated whereas the level of four genes – EPAS1, FLT1, SIGLE10 and ANG4 – was upregulated in the study group compared with the control group. The real-time RT-PCR results from JAG1, COL18A1 and FLT1 genes were in accordance with the gene expression results.

Conclusion. Our results show new targets for research to understand the mechanisms leading to pre-eclampsia.

Keywords:

• Gene expression
• angiogenesis
• pre-eclampsia
• placenta