Increased expression of pentraxin 3 in placental tissues from patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss

Abstract

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a prototypical member of the long pentraxin subfamily, is a evolutionarily conserved multimeric pattern recognition receptor involved in the humoral component of the innate immune system. Pentraxin 3 is released when tissue is stressed or damaged, and interacts with many different ligands. Pentraxin 3 exerts a pivotal role both as a regulator and as an indicator of inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of many diseases such as sepsis, vasculitis and preeclampsia. Uncontrolled inflammatory response is considered a major cause of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL). We determined the PTX3 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression levels in placentai tissues from 50 women with URPL, and made comparison with those in 50 age-matched control subjects. In quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry analyses, PTX3 mRNA and protein levels, respectively, were significantly increased in URPL patients compared with their respective controls (p = 0.0001). Although no significant correlations were identified between PTX3 expression levels and clinical parameters such as maternal age, numbers of previous pregnancy losses, and gestational age at miscarriage, PTX3 mRNA expression was significantly higher in patients with no live births than in women with previous live births (p = 0.0001). Our study suggests that tissue-specific expression of PTX3 is associated with URPL. Further larger studies are required to determine whether PTX3 expression can be used as a biomarker to manage URPL in routine clinical practice.

Biomarkers of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and nitric oxide-(NO)-dependent oxidative stress in women who miscarried

“…Earlier research on PTX-3 in NETs showed that PTX-3 plays a key role in regulating the proper development of pregnancy and the inflammatory response, such as in preeclampsia. An uncontrolled inflammatory reaction is believed to be the primary cause of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss 24 , 25 . It has been proven that the gene responsible for PTX-3 activation is activated during the early gestation period.…”

BMP2 suppresses the production of pentraxin 3 in human endometrial stromal and decidual stromal cells

“…15,[29][30][31][32] Additionally, the expression of PTX3 is dramatically increased in placental tissues obtained from patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. 16 Collectively, we speculate that abnormally elevated levels of PTX3 can induce an aberrant innate immune response or exaggerate an inflammatory reaction, which leads to pathological pregnancy. In this regard, studies have shown that the expression of PTX3 in human stromal cells can be upregulated by progesterone, trophoblast explants or several F I G U R E 7 Proposed model of the signaling pathway mediating BMP2-induced downregulation of Pentraxin 3 expression in human endometrial stromal cells and decidual stromal cells.…”

“…Recent studies have shown that PTX3 is involved in the pathogenesis of several vascular complications during pregnancy, and PTX3 levels are markedly elevated in women with preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, intrauterine growth restriction, and pregnancy with type 1 diabetes or GDM and even in pregnant women with obesity 15,29–32 . Additionally, the expression of PTX3 is dramatically increased in placental tissues obtained from patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss 16 . Collectively, we speculate that abnormally elevated levels of PTX3 can induce an aberrant innate immune response or exaggerate an inflammatory reaction, which leads to pathological pregnancy.…”

“…Studies have shown that PTX3 is significantly overexpressed in the placental tissues of women with pathological pregnancies, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) 14,15 . A recent study reported that the expression of PTX3 is dramatically increased in the placental tissues obtained from patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss 16 . Based on the functional roles of PTX3 in regulating normal and pathological pregnancies, we proposed that PTX3 may act as an important regulator during early pregnancy.…”

Pentraxin 3 – possible uses in neonatology and paediatrics

“…Significantly elevated maternal serum levels of PTX3 during in vitro embryo transfer have negative effects on embryo implantation (12) . Elevated blood PTX3 in the first trimester and in placental tissues is also associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (13,14) . Elevated maternal blood PTX3 may be considered an early marker of placental dysfunction, and it was seen in pathological pregnancies (complicated with pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and premature rupture of membranes) (7,10,11) .…”