The Number of Syncytial Knots and the Intensity of VEGF Expression in the Villi of the Monochorionic Diamniotic Placenta in Selective Fetal Growth Restriction.

A comparative study was carried out to analyze the number of syncytial knots and the intensity of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the villi of the monochorionic diamniotic placenta in pregnancies complicated by the syndrome of selective fetal growth restriction (sFGR). We performed a morphological analysis of 32 monochorionic diamniotic placentas after term delivery which were divided into two groups. The main group included the placentas of 15 puerperas whose pregnancies were complicated by sFGR. The control group included twin placentas of 17 puerperas without signs of sFGR. The number of syncytial knots was determined by histological studies, and the levels of VEGF expression in syncytiotrophoblast and capillary endotheliocytes of the placental villi were determined by immunohistochemical studies. The study showed an increase in the number of syncytial knots in the villi of the placental part of the fetus with sFGR which indicated the development of preplacental hypoxia. A significant increase in the level of VEGF expression in the syncytiotrophoblast and vascular endothelium of the villi should be considered as a manifestation of a compensatory adaptational response to hypoxia, though it is insufficient to prevent the development of sFGR.

Expression of fucosylated glycans in endothelial glycocalyces of placental villi at early and late fetal growth restriction.

The aim of the study was to investigate the content and distribution of fucosylated sugar residues and Lewis Y (LeY) in the endothelial glycocalyx (eGC) in placental tissue at early and late onset fetal growth restriction (FGR). Our findings demonstrated that the changes of the fucosylated glycans of type 2 (H2)/LeY in the vascular endothelium of the villi may reflect alteration of villi maturation, or adaptation to hypoxia through the change of cell proliferation potential and induction angiogenesis. Early onset FGR differs from late onset FGR by a markedly increased LeY expression, being associated with more severe pathological state.

[Features of the urine peptidome under the condition of hypertensive pathologies of pregnancy]. / Osobennosti peptidoma mochi pri gipertenzivnykh patologiiakh beremennykh.

In order to find a peptide panel to differentiate close hypertensive conditions a case-control study was designed for 64 women from 4 groups: preeclampsia (PE), chronic hypertension superimposed with PE, chronic hypertension, and healthy individuals. Chromatography coupled with mass-spectrometry and subsequent bioinformatic analysis showed several patterns in the changes of the urine peptidome. There were 36 peptides common for four groups. Twenty two of them 22 belonged to alpha-1-chain of collagen I, nine peptides were from alpha-1-chain of collagen III, two from alpha-2-chain of collagen I, one from alpha-1/2-chain of collagen I, one from alpha-1-chain of collagen I/XVIII and one from uromodulin. Patients with hypertensive disorders had 34 common peptides: 12 from alpha-1-chain of collagen I, 10 from fibrinogen alpha-chain, eight from alpha-1-chain of collagen III, and 4 per other types of collagen. Comparative analysis revealed 12 peptides, which could be used as a diagnostic panel for confident discrimination of pregnant women with various hypertensive disorders.

An untargeted approach for the analysis of the urine peptidome of women with preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria. The disorder usually occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy and gets worse over time. PE increases the risk of poor outcomes for both the mother and the baby. In the study we applied LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of the urine peptidome of women with PE. Samples were prepared using size-exclusion chromatography method which gives more than twice peptides identities if compared with solid phase extraction. Thirty urine samples from women with mild and severe preeclampsia and the control group were analyzed. In total 1786 peptides were identified using complementary search engines (Mascot, MaxQuant and PEAKS). A high level of agreement in peptide identification was observed with previously published data. Label-free data comparison resulted in 35 peptides which reliably distinguished a particular PE group (severe or mild) from controls. Our results revealed unique identifications (correlate to alpha-1-antitrypsin, collagen alpha-1(I) chain, collagen alpha-1 (III) chain, and uromodulin, for instance) that can potentially serve as early indicators of PE.

Detection of Antileukocytic Antibodies in Blood Serum using Lymphocytes and Latex Microspheres Carrying HLA-Antigens upon Alloimmunization of Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.

Anti-HLA-antibodies were detected using cross-reaction of blood serum with allogenic T and B cells and latex microspheres coated with HLA-I and HLA-II antigens. HLA+ and HLA-sera obtained from women before and after allogeneic immunization were tested. The results obtained by these methods significantly differed. The test with latex microspheres detected antibodies to HLA-I and HLA-II antigens with high sensitivity and specificity and can be used for assessment of clinical significance of alloantibody detection when using alloimmunization in the therapy of gestation disorders.

Time course of the cytokine profiles during the early period of normal pregnancy and in patients with a history of habitual miscarriage.

The time course of the peripheral blood cytokine profiles was studied in patients with a history of habitual miscarriages and in normal gestation. Low levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines during the early periods of gestation were characteristic of patients with a history of habitual miscarriages; however, an anti-inflammatory shift of the cytokine spectrum developed by the end of the first trimester.

PP086. The modern search for possible predictors of preeclampsia in the first trimester of pregnancy (preliminary study).

INTRODUCTION: Preeclampsia is a major complication affecting at least 3-4% of all pregnancies and is globally responsible for approximately 50,000 maternal deaths annually. Currently the main cause of preeclampsia is a shallow placentation, with abnormal invasion of cytotrophoblasts and incomplete remodeling of placenta-supplying maternal uterine spiral arteries. However, up to 20weeks, these processes are asymptomatic, although they are accompanied by the release of various macromolecules in the bloodstream of the mother, which are potential biomarkers of disease, needed to detect. Much progress has been made in recent years towards first-trimester models using combined factors that will be of realistic use in clinical practice.The ability to predict the most severe forms of preeclampsia would allow closer surveillance and earlier intervention to improve pregnancy outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To determine the significance of measuring the concentration of PlGF and sFlt-1 and their ratio in 11-13 weeks of pregnancy as early markers of preeclampsia. METHODS: The study included 85 pregnant women in 11-13 weeks with subsequent uncomplicated pregnancy and 11 patients which developed various hypertensive disorders, four of them have developed severe (n=2) and mild (n=2) preeclampsia later. Concentrations of markers were determined on automated analyzers Cobas E411 (Hoffmann La Roche) using test kits Elecsys PlGF and Elecsys sFlt-1. RESULTS: In the first trimester the concentration of sFlt-1 in healthy pregnant women was 1618,0±18,2pg/ml, PlGF - 47,5±3,5pg/ml, the sFlt-1/PLGF ratio - 35,9±3,2. In the second trimester parameters were as follows: sFlt-1 - 1898,0±29,8pg/ml, PlGF - 208,0±11,0pg/ml, the sFlt-1/PLGF ratio-11,2±2,6. Two patients with severe preeclampsia had sFlt-1 concentration at 11-12 weeks of 2185 and 14923pg/ml, PlGF - 12,8 and 61.3pg/ml, the ratio sFlt-1/PLGF - 170,7 and 243.4. In two patients with mild preeclampsia, these figures were in 1700 and 2312pg/ml, 38.2 and 37,6pg/ml, 44,4 and 61,4, respectively. CONCLUSION: The optimal prediction biomarker does probably not exist. Our preliminary results confirm the feasibility of determining concentrations of sFlt-1 and PlGF, and their ratio in the 1st trimester of pregnancy to assess the risk of preeclampsia in order to reduce the frequency of obstetric complications and perinatal loss. Effective prediction of PE can be achieved at 11-13weeks' gestation. Further studies on the development and implementation a modified integrated screening program for early diagnosis of PE at 11-14weeks of gestation should be based on the assessment of maternal factors, biophysical, biochemical, and molecular genetic markers are needed. Better individualised patient prediction will allow us to target existing prevention, as it is, and to also develop new treatments in future.

Familial predisposition to uterine leiomyomas.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical risk for gynecological disorders in first-degree relatives in families with uterine leiomyoma. METHOD: Ninety-seven families (215 female patients) were enrolled in this study; 97 patients and 118 of their near family relatives were examined. RESULTS: Leiomyoma was discovered in 24.7% of cases, 2.2 times more frequently (P < 0.001) among the first-degree female relatives in families with two or more verified leiomyoma cases. The rate of PCO disease was about 15% for both groups. CONCLUSION: These results confirm the concept of distinct predisposition to uterine leiomyoma and the PCO disease in first-degree relatives in families with leiomyoma accumulation.