Decreased Expression of Placental Proteins in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: Functional Relevance and Diagnostic Value

Miscarriages affect 50-70% of all conceptions and 15-20% of clinically recognized pregnancies. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL, ≥2 miscarriages) affects 1-5% of recognized pregnancies. Nevertheless, our knowledge about the etiologies and pathophysiology of RPL is incomplete, and thus, reliable diagnostic/preventive tools are not yet available. Here, we aimed to define the diagnostic value of three placental proteins for RPL: human chorionic gonadotropin free beta-subunit (free-β-hCG), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), and placental growth factor (PlGF). Blood samples were collected from women with RPL (n = 14) and controls undergoing elective termination of pregnancy (n = 30) at the time of surgery. Maternal serum protein concentrations were measured by BRAHMS KRYPTOR Analyzer. Daily multiple of median (dMoM) values were calculated for gestational age-specific normalization. To obtain classifiers, logistic regression analysis was performed, and ROC curves were calculated. There were differences in changes of maternal serum protein concentrations with advancing healthy gestation. Between 6 and 13 weeks, women with RPL had lower concentrations and dMoMs of free β-hCG, PAPP-A, and PlGF than controls. PAPP-A dMoM had the best discriminative properties (AUC = 0.880). Between 9 and 13 weeks, discriminative properties of all protein dMoMs were excellent (free β-hCG: AUC = 0.975; PAPP-A: AUC = 0.998; PlGF: AUC = 0.924). In conclusion, free-β-hCG and PAPP-A are valuable biomarkers for RPL, especially between 9 and 13 weeks. Their decreased concentrations indicate the deterioration of placental functions, while lower PlGF levels indicate problems with placental angiogenesis after 9 weeks.

Placental galectins regulate innate and adaptive immune responses in pregnancy

Introduction

Galectins are master regulators of maternal immune responses and placentation in pregnancy. Galectin-13 (gal-13) and galectin-14 (gal-14) are expressed solely by the placenta and contribute to maternal-fetal immune tolerance by inducing the apoptosis of activated T lymphocytes and the polarization of neutrophils toward an immune-regulatory phenotype.Furthermore, their decreased placental expression is associated with pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and miscarriage. Yet, our knowledge of the immunoregulatory role of placental galectins is incomplete.

Methods

This study aimed to investigate the effects of recombinant gal-13 and gal-14 on cell viability, apoptosis, and cytokine production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the signaling pathways involved.

Results

Herein, we show that gal-13 and gal-14 bind to the surface of non-activated PBMCs (monocytes, natural killer cells, B cells, and T cells) and increase their viability while decreasing the rate of their apoptosis without promoting cell proliferation. We also demonstrate that gal-13 and gal-14 induce the production of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-10, and interferon-gamma cytokines in a concentration-dependent manner in PBMCs. The parallel activation of Erk1/2, p38, and NF-ĸB signaling evidenced by kinase phosphorylation in PBMCs suggests the involvement of these pathways in the regulation of the galectin-affected immune cell functions.

Discussion

These findings provide further evidence on how placenta-specific galectins assist in the establishment and maintenance of a proper immune environment during a healthy pregnancy.

Proteoglycans: Systems-Level Insight into Their Expression in Healthy and Diseased Placentas

Proteoglycan macromolecules play key roles in several physiological processes (e.g., adhesion, proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and apoptosis), all of which are important for placentation and healthy pregnancy. However, their precise roles in human reproduction have not been clarified. To fill this gap, herein, we provide an overview of the proteoglycans' expression and role in the placenta, in trophoblast development, and in pregnancy complications (pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction), highlighting one of the most important members of this family, syndecan-1 (SDC1). Microarray data analysis showed that of 34 placentally expressed proteoglycans, SDC1 production is markedly the highest in the placenta and that SDC1 is the most upregulated gene during trophoblast differentiation into the syncytiotrophoblast. Furthermore, placental transcriptomic data identified dysregulated proteoglycan genes in pre-eclampsia and in fetal growth restriction, including SDC1, which is supported by the lower concentration of syndecan-1 in maternal blood in these syndromes. Overall, our clinical and in vitro studies, data analyses, and literature search pointed out that proteoglycans, as important components of the placenta, may regulate various stages of placental development and participate in the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. Moreover, syndecan-1 may serve as a useful marker of syncytialization and a prognostic marker of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Further studies are warranted to explore the role of proteoglycans in healthy and complicated pregnancies, which may help in diagnostic or therapeutic developments.

Ahead of the second wave: Early warning for COVID-19 by wastewater surveillance in Hungary

Wastewater based epidemiology is a potential early warning tool for the detection of COVID-19 outbreak. Sewage surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was introduced in Hungary after the successful containment of the first wave of the pandemic to forecast the resurge of infections. Three wastewater treatment plants servicing the entire population (1.8 million) of the capital, Budapest were sampled weekly. 24 h composite (n = 44) and grab samples (n = 21) were concentrated by an in-house flat sheet membrane ultrafiltration method. The efficiency and reproducibility of the method was comparable to those previously published. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was quantified using RT-qPCR of the N gene. The first positive signal in sewage was detected 2 weeks before the rise in case numbers. Viral concentration and volume-adjusted viral load correlated to the weekly new cases from the same week and the rolling 7-day average of active cases in the subsequent week. The correlation was more pronounced in the ascending phase of the outbreak, data was divergent once case numbers plateaued. Wastewater surveillance was found to be effective in predicting the second wave of the outbreak in Hungary. Data indicated that even relatively low frequency (weekly) sampling is useful and at the same time, cost effective tool in outbreak detection.

Application of ARDRA and PLFA analysis in characterizing the bacterial communities of the food, gut and excrement of saprophagous larvae of Penthetria holosericea (Diptera: Bibionidae): a pilot study

Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) was used to compare the bacterial communities of the food, the gut sections (ceca, anterior and posterior midgut, hindgut) and the excrement of the litter feeding bibionid larvae of Penthetria holosericea. For universal eubacterial primers ARDRA patterns were complex with only minor differences among samples. Taxon specific primers were also applied to characterize the samples. Fragment composition was transformed to presence/absence binary data and further analyzed. Cluster analysis revealed that bacterial communities of gut highly resembled each other with the exception of the ceca. ARDRA patterns of consumed leaves clustered together with the intact leaves but differed from those of the excrement. ARDRA results were compared with microbial community structure based on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) fingerprints. The cluster analysis of PLFA (presence/absence binary) data resulted in a pattern similar to the ARDRA data. The PCA analysis of PLFA relative content separated microbial communities into five groups: (1) anterior and posterior midgut, (2) hindgut, (3) ceca, (4) consumed and intact litter, (5) excrement. Both methods indicated that conditions in the larval gut result in formation of a specific microbial community which differs from both the food and excrement ones. Particularly ceca--(blind appendages, harbor very specific microbial community) are divided from the rest of the gut by perithropic membrane.

Thermobifida cellulolytica sp. nov., a novel lignocellulose-decomposing actinomycete

Four actinomycete strains, isolated from the overheated region of manure compost, were assigned to the genus Thermobifida on the basis of morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. All strains produced single, ovoid, heat-sensitive spores on dichotomically branched aerial hyphae. On the basis of chemotaxonomic traits, these isolates showed strong affinity towards members of the genus Thermobifida. Cell-wall analysis revealed the presence of meso-diaminopimelic acid, but no other characteristic amino acids or sugars in the murein (cell wall type III). According to polar lipid analysis, all strains showed PL II-type phospholipid composition; phosphatidylethanolamine and glycolipid were detected together with some unidentified phospholipids. The isoprenoid quinone composition of the new isolates differed slightly from that of the other two Thermobifida species described thus far. The partial 16S rDNA sequence similarity of the four strains reached 99.8-100%, whereas a nearly complete 16S rDNA sequence of TB100T, the representative strain of this collection, showed only 97.4 and 97.8% similarity to the corresponding rDNA sequences of the type strains of Thermobifida fusca and Thermobifida alba, respectively. These four isolates constituted a homogeneous group with levels of DNA-DNA homology ranging from 94.6 to 99.1%. The DNA-DNA relative homology values of strain TB100T to Thermobifida fusca ATCC 27730T and Thermobifida alba DSM 43795T were 48.1 and 57%, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, the strains are assigned to a new species within the genus Thermobifida under the name Thermobifida cellulolytica sp. nov. The type strain is TB100T (= DSM 44535T = NCAIM B01997T).

Morphologic and genetic characterization of Onchocerca lupi infecting dogs

In the past decades, sporadic cases of ocular Onchocerca infection have been reported in canids in US and Europe. The present study was undertaken to provide a detailed description of the morphologic characteristics of adults and microfilariae and to characterize the 5S ribosomal rRNA gene (5S rDNA) spacer sequences of Onchocerca lupi causing canine onchocercosis. The morphology of O. lupi is unique within the genus, and morphology based cluster analysis indicates that O. lupi is not closely related to the members of domestic cattle or horse clades occurring in North America and Europe. Similarly, the signature of the 5S rDNA spacer sequences of O. lupi does not resemble any other Onchocerca 5S rDNA spacer sequences including those of the members of domestic cattle or horse clades. The adult and microfilarial morphology and sequence signature supports the biological arguments that a distinct species, O. lupi and not O. lienalis, is responsible for canine ocular onchocercosis.