Association of functional superoxide gene polymorphism with chlamydia trachomatis-associated recurrent spontaneous abortion

Role of increased IGFBP2 in trophoblast cell proliferation and recurrent spontaneous abortion development: A pilot study

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a serious condition that adversely affects women's health. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in plasma of patients experiencing RSA is helpful to find new therapeutic targets and identified with mass spectrometry. In 57 DEPs, 21 were upregulated and 36 were downregulated in RSA. Gene ontology analyses indicated that identified DEPs were associated with cell proliferation, including significantly downregulated insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2). Immunohistochemical result using clinical decidual tissues also showed that IGFBP2 expression was significantly decreased in RSA trophoblasts. Cell proliferation assay indicated that IGFBP2 treatment increased the proliferation and mRNA expressions of PCNA and Ki67 in trophoblast cells. Transcriptome sequencing experiments and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses revealed that gene expression for components in PI3K-Akt pathway in trophoblasts was significantly upregulated following IGFBP2 treatment. To confirm bioinformatics findings, we did cell-based experiments and found that treatment of inhibitors for insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 receptor-PI3K-Akt pathway significantly reduced IGFBP2-induced trophoblast cell proliferation and mRNA expressions of PCNA and Ki67. Our findings suggest that IGFBP2 may increase trophoblast proliferation through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to affect pregnancy outcomes and that IGFBP2 may be a new target for future research and treatment of RSA.

Immune regulation by activation markers at feto-maternal interface in infection-associated spontaneous preterm birth

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is a global health concern. Studies reveal infections are majorly responsible for sPTB and immune activation markers play a role in regulation of maternal immune responses against pathogens during sPTB.

AIM

To study the mRNA expression and correlation of activation markers (CD66a, ICAM1, ITGB1, TIM3, CD25, CD95) and associated cytokines (IL-1β and IL-17)/prostaglandin receptors (EP2 and IP) in the placenta of Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum-infected sPTB women.

METHODS

Placental samples were collected from 160 sPTB and 160 term birth women. PCR was used for the detection of C. trachomatis, M. hominis, U. urealyticum. The mRNA expression of activation markers, cytokines and prostaglandin receptors was evaluated by real-time qPCR.

RESULTS

The fold-change expression of CD66a, ICAM1, TIM3, CD25 and CD95 was 2.89, 5.5, 4.95, 6.44 and 6.95-fold (p < 0.001), respectively; while for cytokines- IL-1β and IL-17 was 5.41 and 4.71-fold (p < 0.001), respectively and for prostaglandin receptors- EP2 and IP was 5.5 and 5-fold (p < 0.001) upregulated, respectively in infected sPTB women. Significant positive correlation was obtained among ICAM-1 and IL-1β/EP2/IL-17, TIM3 and IP/IL-17. Significant negative correlation was obtained between CD66a and EP2/IL-17, CD25 and IL-1β/EP2, CD95 and IL-1β/EP2 in infected sPTB women.

CONCLUSIONS

CD66a, ICAM1 and TIM3 may play role in inflammation and have potential for the clinical beginning of preterm labour during infection while CD25 and CD95 are possibly involved in immunotolerance at feto-maternal interface during C. trachomatis, M. hominis and U. urealyticum infection.