Gastroschisis associated changes in the placental transcriptome.

The congenital condition gastroschisis is associated with delayed villous development and placental malperfusion, suggesting placental involvement. This study uses RNA sequencing to compare the placental transcriptome in pregnancies with and without gastroschisis. 180 coding genes were differentially expressed, mapping to multiple gene ontology pathways. Altered placental gene expression may represent fetal signalling to the placenta, and these changes could contribute to the pathogenesis of gastroschisis and associated morbidities, including fetal growth restriction. • Gastroschisis is a congenital condition where the infant's intestines extend outside the abdomen. • Developmental and vascular defects are associated with Gastroschisis. • Gastroschisis associated changes in the placental transcriptome were observed. • These changes may reflect altered fetal to placental signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]