1. Elevated Circulating and Placental SPINT2 Is Associated with Placental Dysfunction.
- Author
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Murphy CN, Walker SP, MacDonald TM, Keenan E, Hannan NJ, Wlodek ME, Myers J, Briffa JF, Romano T, Roddy Mitchell A, Whigham CA, Cannon P, Nguyen TV, Kandel M, Pritchard N, Tong S, and Kaitu'u-Lino TJ
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Female, Fetal Growth Retardation metabolism, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Small for Gestational Age, Longitudinal Studies, Placenta metabolism, Placenta Diseases metabolism, Pre-Eclampsia metabolism, Pregnancy, Prospective Studies, Trophoblasts metabolism, Biomarkers metabolism, Fetal Growth Retardation diagnosis, Membrane Glycoproteins metabolism, Placenta pathology, Placenta Diseases diagnosis, Pre-Eclampsia diagnosis, Trophoblasts pathology
- Abstract
Biomarkers for placental dysfunction are currently lacking. We recently identified SPINT1 as a novel biomarker; SPINT2 is a functionally related placental protease inhibitor. This study aimed to characterise SPINT2 expression in placental insufficiency. Circulating SPINT2 was assessed in three prospective cohorts, collected at the following: (1) term delivery ( n = 227), (2) 36 weeks ( n = 364), and (3) 24-34 weeks' ( n = 294) gestation. SPINT2 was also measured in the plasma and placentas of women with established placental disease at preterm (<34 weeks) delivery. Using first-trimester human trophoblast stem cells, SPINT2 expression was assessed in hypoxia/normoxia (1% vs. 8% O2), and following inflammatory cytokine treatment (TNFα, IL-6). Placental SPINT2 mRNA was measured in a rat model of late-gestational foetal growth restriction. At 36 weeks, circulating SPINT2 was elevated in patients who later developed preeclampsia ( p = 0.028; median = 2233 pg/mL vs. controls, median = 1644 pg/mL), or delivered a small-for-gestational-age infant ( p = 0.002; median = 2109 pg/mL vs. controls, median = 1614 pg/mL). SPINT2 was elevated in the placentas of patients who required delivery for preterm preeclampsia ( p = 0.025). Though inflammatory cytokines had no effect, hypoxia increased SPINT2 in cytotrophoblast stem cells, and its expression was elevated in the placental labyrinth of growth-restricted rats. These findings suggest elevated SPINT2 is associated with placental insufficiency.
- Published
- 2021
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