The objective of this study is to investigate the expression of autophagy-related proteins (LC3 and beclin-1) in human placentas and the changes they undergo in the placentas from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (PE) and to explore the regulatory mechanisms of these proteins in JEG-3 cells in response to hypoxia or cytokine treatment.The presence of autophagosomes was confirmed with electron microscopy and the expression of LC3 and beclin-1 by immunoimaging methods in human placental trophoblasts. Compared with the placentas from normal pregnancies, the expression of LC3-II protein, but not beclin-1, was increased in the placentas from severe PE. In JEG-3 cells, hypoxia (O(2) < 1%) induced a modest but not significant increase in the expression of LC3-II with a significant decrease in the expression of beclin-1. Meanwhile, TNF-alpha treatment induced a significant increase in the expression of LC3-II without a significant change in the expression of beclin-1. Our data suggests that increased autophagic activity in the placenta may be implicated in the pathophysiology of PE.

Background Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is regarded as a mainstay in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) because of its efficacy in preventing flares, achieving remission, and reducing overall mortality. However, the impact of HCQ on pregnancy outcomes remains controversial. Objective We aimed to investigate the effect of HCQ on pregnancy outcomes in patients with SLE. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 151 pregnancies in 122 patients with SLE (80 pregnancies in the HCQ treatment group and 71 pregnancies in the HCQ nontreatment group). We reviewed baseline characteristics including maternal comorbidities such as antiphospholipid syndrome, lupus nephritis, and autoimmune hepatitis. Pregnancy outcomes (preeclampsia, preterm delivery, and fetal growth restriction) and neonatal outcomes (gestational age at delivery and birth weight) were compared between HCQ treatment and nontreatment groups. Results Preeclampsia was significantly less complicated (7.5% vs 19.7%, p = 0.032) and neonatal birth weight was significantly greater (2757.0 ± 583.5 g vs 2542.3 ± 908.3 g, p = 0.001) in the HCQ treatment group than in the HCQ nontreatment group. Multiple logistic analysis adjusting for body mass index (BMI), lupus nephritis, serum uric acid, and estimated glomerular filtration rate revealed HCQ treatment was associated with exceedingly lower risk of preeclampsia in SLE pregnancy (odds ratio (OR) 0.106 (confidence interval (CI) 0.017–0.671)). Other independent risk factors for preeclampsia were a high prepregnancy BMI (OR 1.575 (CI 1.114–2.227)) and low eGFR level (OR 0.931 (CI 0.886–0.979)) before pregnancy. Conclusion Our data showed pregnancy outcomes in SLE patients can be improved in the HCQ treatment group with about 90% reduction of preeclampsia.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to be a viable therapy against various diseases due to their paracrine effects, such as secretion of immunomodulatory, trophic and protective factors. These cells are known to be distributed within various organs and tissues. Although they possess the same characteristics, MSCs from different sources are believed to have different secretion potentials and patterns, which may influence their therapeutic effects in disease environments. We characterized the protein secretome of adipose (AD), bone marrow (BM), placenta (PL), and Wharton’s jelly (WJ)-derived human MSCs by using conditioned media and analyzing the secretome by mass spectrometry and follow-up bioinformatics. Each MSC secretome profile had distinct characteristics depending on the source. However, the functional analyses of the secretome from different sources showed that they share similar characteristics, such as cell migration and negative regulation of programmed cell death, even though differences in the composition of the secretome exist. This study shows that the secretome of fetal-derived MSCs, such as PL and WJ, had a more diverse composition than that of AD and BM-derived MSCs, and it was assumed that their therapeutic potential was greater because of these properties.