Uterine Fibroids Causing Preterm Birth: A New Pathophysiological Hypothesis on the Role of Fibroid Necrosis and Inflammation.

According to recent studies and observations in clinical practice, uterine fibroids increase the risk of preterm birth. There are several theories on the pathogenesis of preterm birth in the presence of fibroids. One theory proclaims that fibroid necrosis leads to preterm birth, though pathophysiological mechanisms have not been described. Necrotic tissue secretes specific cytokines and proteins and we suggest these to be comparable to the inflammatory response leading to spontaneous preterm birth. We hypothesize that fibroid necrosis could induce preterm parturition through a similar inflammatory response. This new hypothesis generates novel perspectives for future research and the development of preventative strategies for preterm birth. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of the recognition of fibroids and especially fibroid necrosis by clinicians during pregnancy.

Circulating pregnancy hormone relaxin as a first trimester biomarker for preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia, a multi-system hypertensive disorder, is associated with perturbations in the maternal cardiovascular system during early pregnancy. The corpus luteal hormone relaxin, a potent vasodilator, may contribute to physiological circulatory changes especially in early gestation when circulating levels are highest. This study investigated whether first trimester circulating relaxin may be a suitable biomarker for the early prediction of preeclampsia. METHODS: Relaxin was initially measured in first-trimester samples of women who developed late-onset preeclamptic (LO-PE; delivery ≥ 34 weeks; n = 33) and uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 25) in Pittsburgh, USA. Subsequently, to expand the group numbers, relaxin was measured in women who developed LO-PE (n = 95), early-onset preeclamptic (EO-PE; delivery < 34 weeks; n = 57), and uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 469) in Utrecht, the Netherlands. RESULTS: In the Pittsburgh subjects, low relaxin levels (lowest centile:

Cholecystokinin, gastrin, cholecystokinin/gastrin receptors, and bitter taste receptor TAS2R14: trophoblast expression and signaling.

We investigated expression of cholecystokinin (CCK) in humans and mice, and the bitter taste receptor TAS2R14 in the human placenta. Because CCK and gastrin activate the CCKBR receptor, we also explored placental gastrin expression. Finally, we investigated calcium signaling by CCK and TAS2R14. By RT-PCR, we found CCK/Cck and GAST/Gast mRNA expression in both normal human and mouse placentas, as well as in human trophoblast cell lines (TCL). Although both Cckar and -br mRNA were expressed in the mouse placenta, only CCKBR mRNA was detected in the human placenta and TCL. mRNA expression for TAS2R14 was also observed in the human placenta and TCL. Using immunohistochemistry, CCK protein was localized to the syncytiotrophoblast (ST) and extravillous trophoblast (EVT) in the human term placenta, and to trophoblast glycogen cells in mouse and human placentas. Gastrin and TAS2R14 proteins were also observed in ST and EVT of the human placenta. Both sulfated and nonsulfated CCK elicited a comparable rise in intracellular calcium in TCL, consistent with CCKBR expression. Three TAS2R14 agonists, flufenamic acid, chlorhexidine, and diphenhydramine, also evoked rises in intracellular calcium in TCL. These results establish CCK, gastrin, and their receptor(s) in both human and mouse placentas, and TAS2R14 in the human placenta. Both CCK and TAS2R14 agonists increased intracellular calcium in human TCL. Although the roles of these ligands and receptors, and their potential cross talk in normal and pathological placentas, are currently unknown, this study opens new avenues for placental research.

Emerging role for dysregulated decidualization in the genesis of preeclampsia.

In normal human placentation, uterine invasion by trophoblast cells and subsequent spiral artery remodeling depend on cooperation among fetal trophoblasts and maternal decidual, myometrial, immune and vascular cells in the uterine wall. Therefore, aberrant function of anyone or several of these cell-types could theoretically impair placentation leading to the development of preeclampsia. Because trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling occur during the first half of pregnancy, the molecular pathology of fetal placental and maternal decidual tissues following delivery may not be informative about the genesis of impaired placentation, which transpired months earlier. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the emerging prospective evidence supporting the concept that deficient or defective endometrial maturation in the late secretory phase and during early pregnancy, i.e., pre-decidualization and decidualization, respectively, may contribute to the genesis of preeclampsia. The first prospectively-acquired data directly supporting this concept were unexpectedly revealed in transcriptomic analyses of chorionic villous samples (CVS) obtained during the first trimester of women who developed preeclampsia 5 months later. Additional supportive evidence arose from investigations of Natural Killer cells in first trimester decidua from elective terminations of women with high resistance uterine artery indices, a surrogate for deficient trophoblast invasion. Last, circulating insulin growth factor binding protein-1, which is secreted by decidual stromal cells was decreased during early pregnancy in women who developed preeclampsia. We conclude this review by making recommendations for further prospectively-designed studies to corroborate the concept of endometrial antecedents of preeclampsia. These studies could also enable identification of women at increased risk for developing preeclampsia, unveil the molecular mechanisms of deficient or defective (pre)decidualization, and lead to preventative strategies designed to improve (pre)decidualization, thereby reducing risk for preeclampsia development.

Relaxin confers cytotrophoblast protection from hypoxia-reoxygenation injury through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt/protein kinase B cell survival pathway.

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive syndrome that manifests after 20 wk of gestation. Contemporary understanding of the maternal-fetal interface in preeclampsia suggests a major role for placental oxidative stress resulting from ischemia-reperfusion injury. We hypothesized that the pregnancy hormone relaxin would reduce cytotrophoblast apoptosis and necrosis (aponecrosis) and, hence, the export of placental debris into the maternal circulation. If so, then relaxin might be employed as a therapeutic intervention to diminish the activation of the maternal systemic inflammatory response central to the development of clinical disease. HTR-8/SVneo cells, a model for first trimester extravillous trophoblast, were subjected to serum deprivation and hypoxia or hypoxia-reoxygenation. The cells were treated with recombinant human relaxin or vehicle and apoptosis and/or necrosis evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), CellEvent Caspase-3/7 and SYTOX AADvanced kit, and propidium iodide staining as determined by fluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry. To interrogate mechanisms of relaxin cytoprotection, HTR-8/SVneo cells were pretreated with pharmacological inhibitors of PI3-kinase LY294004, Akt/PKB MK-2206, or DMSO vehicle. HTR-8/SVneo cell identity was first confirmed by RT-PCR. The cells expressed placental alkaline phosphatase, aromatase, and human leukocyte antigen G. In addition, the cells expressed the relaxin receptor RXFP1 as well as H1 and H2 relaxins. Serum deprivation and hypoxia increased apoptotic cell death in HTR-8/SVneo cells, which was significantly ameliorated by concurrent treatment with relaxin. Serum deprivation and hypoxia-reoxygenation increased necrotic cell death in HTR-8/SVneo cells, which was also significantly rescued by concurrent treatment with relaxin. Pretreatment with LY294002 or MK-2206, to inhibit the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt/protein kinase B cell survival pathway, significantly blunted the cytoprotective effect of relaxin. We demonstrated trophoblast cytoprotection by intervention with supraphysiological concentrations of relaxin, a process in part mediated through the PI3-kinase-Akt/PKB cell survival pathway. These results provide further rationale for clinical investigation of relaxin as a potential therapeutic in preeclampsia.

Postpartum Circulating Markers of Inflammation and the Systemic Acute-Phase Response After Early-Onset Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is an inflammatory-mediated hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and seems to be an early indicator of increased cardiovascular risk, but mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. In this study, we identified levels of circulating inflammatory markers and dynamic changes in the systemic acute-phase response in 44 women with a history of severe early-onset preeclampsia, compared with 29 controls with only uneventful pregnancies at 1.5 to 3.5 years postpartum. Models used were in vivo seasonal influenza vaccination and in vitro whole-blood culture with T-cell stimulants and the toll-like receptor-4 ligand lipopolysaccharide. Outcome measures were C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-18, fibrinogen, myeloperoxidase, and a panel of 13 cytokines representative of the innate and adaptive inflammatory response, in addition to established cardiovascular markers. The in vivo acute-phase response was higher for women with previous preeclampsia than that for controls without such a history, although only significant for C-reactive protein (P=0.04). Preeclampsia was associated with higher IL-1ß (P<0.05) and IL-8 (P<0.01) responses to T-cell activation. Hierarchical clustering revealed 2 distinct inflammatory clusters associated with previous preeclampsia: an adaptive response cluster associated with increased C-reactive protein and IL-6 before and after vaccination, increased weight, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and a toll-like receptor-4 mediated the cluster associated with increased IL-18 before and after vaccination but not associated with other cardiovascular markers. Furthermore, we found interactions between previous preeclampsia, common TLR4 gene variants, and the IL-18 response to vaccination. In conclusion, preeclampsia is associated with alterations in the inflammatory response postpartum mostly independent of other established cardiovascular risk markers.

Bioinformatics approach reveals evidence for impaired endometrial maturation before and during early pregnancy in women who developed preeclampsia.

Impaired uterine invasion by extravillous trophoblast in early gestation is implicated in the genesis of preeclampsia, a potentially lethal malady of human pregnancy. However, reasons for extravillous trophoblast dysfunction remain unclear because of virtual inaccessibility of early placental and uterine tissues from women who develop preeclampsia, and the absence of animal models in which the disease spontaneously occurs. Consequently, the possibility that deficient or defective maturation of the endometrium (decidualization) may compromise extravillous trophoblast invasion in preeclampsia remains unexplored. Using a bioinformatics approach, we tested this hypothesis identifying 396 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in chorionic villous samples from women at ≈11.5 gestational weeks who developed severe preeclampsia symptoms 6 months later compared with chorionic villous samples from normal pregnancies. A large number, 154 or 40%, overlapped with DEG associated with various stages of normal endometrial maturation before and after implantation as identified by other microarray data sets (P=4.7×10(-14)). One-hundred and sixteen of the 154 DEG or 75% overlapped with DEG associated with normal decidualization in the absence of extravillous trophoblast, ie, late-secretory endometrium (LSE) and endometrium from tubal ectopic pregnancy (EP; P=4.2×10(-9)). Finally, 112 of these 154 DEG or 73% changed in the opposite direction in microarray data sets related to normal endometrial maturation (P=0.01), including 16 DEG upregulated in decidual (relative to peripheral blood) natural killer cells that were downregulated in chorionic villous samples from women who developed preeclampsia (P<0.0001). Taken together, these results suggest that insufficient or defective maturation of endometrium and decidual natural killer cells during the secretory phase and early pregnancy preceded the development of preeclampsia.

C-reactive protein and fibrinogen levels as determinants of recurrent preeclampsia: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia have an increased risk of recurrent preeclampsia and are more prone to develop future cardiovascular disease. At present, risk factors underlying this association are not well characterized. We investigated whether the risk of recurrent preeclampsia is associated with pre-pregnancy levels of common cardiovascular and inflammatory markers. METHODS: Reproductive follow-up and cardiovascular parameters were obtained for 150 primiparae with a history of early-onset preeclampsia 6-12 months after their first delivery. Simultaneously, fasting plasma samples were collected and tested for lipids, glucose, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen. The relative contribution of each marker to the recurrence risk of preeclampsia and preterm delivery was estimated by Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Forty-two women (28%) developed preeclampsia in a next pregnancy. Recurrent preeclampsia was related to elevated pre-pregnancy levels of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen when compared to women who did not develop recurrent disease. We found no associations between recurrent preeclampsia and maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking or fasting levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose. CONCLUSION: These observations support a role for inflammation in recurrent hypertensive disorders of pregnancy similar to its contribution to later-life atherosclerosis and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Localization of relaxin receptors in arteries and veins, and region-specific increases in compliance and bradykinin-mediated relaxation after in vivo serelaxin treatment.

Relaxin is a potent vasodilator of small resistance arteries and modifies arterial compliance in some systemic vascular beds, yet receptors for relaxin, such as RXFP1, have only been localized to vascular smooth muscle. This study first aimed to localize RXFP1 in rat arteries and veins from different organ beds and determine whether receptors are present in endothelial cells. We then tested the hypothesis that region-specific vascular effects of relaxin may be influenced by the cellular localization of RXFP1 within different blood vessels. The aorta, vena cava, mesenteric artery, and vein had significantly higher (P<0.05) RXFP1 immunostaining in endothelial cells compared with vascular smooth muscle, whereas the femoral artery and vein and small pulmonary arteries had higher (P<0.01) RXFP1 immunostaining in the vascular smooth muscle. Male rats were treated subcutaneously with recombinant human relaxin-2 (serelaxin; 4 µg/h) for 5 d; vasodilation and compliance in mesenteric and femoral arteries and veins were compared with placebo controls. Serelaxin significantly (P=0.04) reduced wall stiffness and increased volume compliance in mesenteric arteries but not in the other vessels examined. This was associated with changes in geometrical properties, and not compositional changes in the extracellular matrix. Serelaxin treatment had no effect on acetylcholine-mediated relaxation but significantly (P<0.001) enhanced bradykinin (BK)-mediated relaxation in mesenteric arteries, involving enhanced nitric oxide but not endothelium-derived hyperpolarization or vasodilatory prostanoids. In conclusion, there is differential distribution of RXFP1 on endothelial and smooth muscle across the vasculature. In rats, mesenteric arteries exhibit the greatest functional response to chronic serelaxin treatment.

Reprint of: In-vitro model systems for the study of human embryo-endometrium interactions.

Implantation requires highly orchestrated interactions between the developing embryo and maternal endometrium. The association between abnormal implantation and reproductive failure is evident, both in normal pregnancy and in assisted reproduction patients. Failure of implantation is the pregnancy rate-limiting step in assisted reproduction, but, as yet, empirical interventions have largely failed to address this problem. Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying human embryo-endometrium signalling is a prerequisite for the further improvement of assisted reproduction outcomes and the development of effective interventions to prevent early pregnancy loss. Studying human embryo implantation is challenging since in-vivo experiments are impractical and unethical, and studies in animal models do not always translate well to humans. However, in recent years in-vitro models have been shown to provide a promising way forward. This review discusses the principal models used to study early human embryo development and initial stages of implantation in vitro. While each model has limitations, exploiting these models will improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms and embryo-endometrium cross-talk at the early implantation site. They provide valuable tools to study early embryo development and pathophysiology of reproductive disorders and have revealed novel disease mechanisms such as the role of epigenetic modifications in recurrent miscarriage.

In-vitro model systems for the study of human embryo-endometrium interactions.

Implantation requires highly orchestrated interactions between the developing embryo and maternal endometrium. The association between abnormal implantation and reproductive failure is evident, both in normal pregnancy and in assisted reproduction patients. Failure of implantation is the pregnancy rate-limiting step in assisted reproduction, but, as yet, empirical interventions have largely failed to address this problem. Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying human embryo-endometrium signalling is a prerequisite for the further improvement of assisted reproduction outcomes and the development of effective interventions to prevent early pregnancy loss. Studying human embryo implantation is challenging since in-vivo experiments are impractical and unethical, and studies in animal models do not always translate well to humans. However, in recent years in-vitro models have been shown to provide a promising way forward. This review discusses the principal models used to study early human embryo development and initial stages of implantation in vitro. While each model has limitations, exploiting these models will improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms and embryo-endometrium cross-talk at the early implantation site. They provide valuable tools to study early embryo development and pathophysiology of reproductive disorders and have revealed novel disease mechanisms such as the role of epigenetic modifications in recurrent miscarriage.

The motile and invasive capacity of human endometrial stromal cells: implications for normal and impaired reproductive function.

BACKGROUND Mechanisms underlying early reproductive loss in the human are beginning to be elucidated. The migratory and invasive capacity of human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) is increasingly recognized to contribute to the intense tissue remodelling associated with embryo implantation, trophoblast invasion and endometrial regeneration. In this review, we examine the signals and mechanisms that control ESC migration and invasion and assess how deregulation of these cell functions contributes to common reproductive disorders. METHODS The PubMed database was searched for publications on motility and invasiveness of human ESCs in normal endometrial function and in reproductive disorders including implantation failure, recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), endometriosis and adenomyosis, covering the period 2000-2012. RESULTS Increasing evidence suggests that implantation failure and RPL involve abnormal migratory responses of decidualizing ESCs to embryo and trophoblast signals. Numerous reports indicate that endometriosis, as well as adenomyosis, is associated with increased basal and stimulated invasiveness of ESCs and their progenitor cells, suggesting a link between a heightened menstrual repair response and the formation of ectopic implants. Migration and invasiveness of ESCs are controlled by a complex array of hormones, growth factors, chemokines and inflammatory mediators, and involve signalling through Rho GTPases, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. CONCLUSIONS Novel concepts are extending our understanding of the key functions of ESCs in effecting tissue repair imposed by cyclic menstruation and parturition. Migration of decidualizing ESCs also serves to support blastocyst implantation and embryo selection through discriminate motile responses directed by embryo quality. Targeting regulatory molecules holds promise for developing new strategies for the treatment of reproductive disorders such as endometriosis and recurrent miscarriage; and harnessing the migratory capacity of progenitor mesenchymal stem cells in the endometrium may offer new opportunities in regenerative medicine.

Maternal cardiovascular risk profile after placental abruption.

The prevalence of premature cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is increased in women with a history of maternal placental syndromes, including pregnancy-associated hypertensive disorders (eg, preeclampsia), fetal growth restriction, and placental abruption. Whereas previous studies have shown a high prevalence of CVD risk factors after pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, this has not been studied for women with a history of placental abruption. To explore the association of placental abruption with CVD risk factors after delivery, we compared 75 women with a history of placental abruption with a control group of 79 women with uneventful pregnancies at 6 to 9 months postpartum for the presence of common CVD risk factors. In a subanalysis, data were stratified according to the presence or absence of concomitant hypertensive disease and further adjusted for potential confounders. Women with previous placental abruption had significantly higher mean systolic blood pressure, body-mass index, fasting blood glucose, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol as compared with controls with only uneventful pregnancies. In the subanalysis, all differences remained significant for women with a history of placental abruption only (ie, without concomitant gestational hypertension), except for the associations with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Most likely, the identified CVD risk factors predispose to placental abruption and development of premature CVD later in life.

PP035. Genome-wide expression profile of first and second trimester human uterine natural killer cells.

INTRODUCTION: Uterine Natural Killer (uNK) cells are key regulators of the placental bed during early placental development and account for 40% of decidual cells. uNK cells have been suggested to play a role in pregnancy complications including maternal placental syndromes, such as preeclampsia. Furthermore uNK cells are involved in angiogenesis, immunomodulation, trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling. These temporal processes are essential for normal placentation and may suggest a time dependent role for uNK cells. OBJECTIVE: To determine uNK cell phenotypic changes during early human placental development. METHODS: uNK cells were isolated from first (7-8 wks, n=6) and second trimester decidual tissue (13-14wks, n=6) by enzymatic digestion and flow sorting, based on uNK cell specific surface marker expression (CD56(high)CD16-CD3-). Total RNA was isolated and subjected to genome-wide gene expression profiling. Expression patterns were validated by quantitative rt-PCR. RESULTS: Using purified uNK cells we identified 140 transcripts that are differentially expressed between the first and second trimester of pregnancy. Many of these transcripts cluster into promising novel and established NK cell functional characteristics. CONCLUSION: The uNK cell phenotype changes over the course of early pregnancy. We propose that these phenotypic changes of NK cells may be dictated by the "uterine niche" to promote the orderly and precisely timed process of placentation.