Semaphorin 3F expression is reduced in pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. An observational clinical study

Abstract

Background and objectivePreeclampsia is a systemic disorder, affecting 2–10% of pregnancies, characterized by a deregulated pro- and anti-angiogenic balance. Semaphorin 3F is an angiogenesis inhibitor. We aimed to investigate whether semaphorin 3F expression is modulated in preeclampsia.Design, setting, participants, and measurementsWe performed two observational single center cohort studies between March 2013 and August 2014. In the first we enrolled 110 consecutive women, undergoing an elective cesarean section; in the second we included 150 consecutive women undergoing amniocentesis for routine clinical indications at 16–18 week of gestation. Semaphorin 3F concentration was evaluated in maternal peripheral blood, venous umbilical blood and amniotic fluid, along with its placenta protein expression at the time of delivery in the first study group and in the amniotic fluid at 16–18 weeks of gestation in the second study group.ResultsIn the first study 19 patients presented at delivery with preeclampsia. Semaphorin 3F placenta tissue expression was significantly reduced in preeclampsia. In addition, semaphorin 3F level at delivery was significantly lower in serum, amniotic fluid and venous umbilical blood of preeclamptic patients compared with normal pregnant women. In the prospective cohort study 14 women developed preeclampsia. In this setting, semaphorin 3F amniotic level at 16–18 weeks of gestation was reduced in women who subsequently developed preeclampsia compared to women with a normal pregnancy. ROC curve analysis showed that semaphorin 3F amniotic levels could identify women at higher risk of preeclampsia.ConclusionsSemaphorin 3F might represent a predictive biomarker of preeclampsia.

Deletion of Semaphorin 3F in Interneurons Is Associated with Decreased GABAergic Neurons, Autism-like Behavior, and Increased Oxidative Stress Cascades

“…Sema 3F–NRP2 signaling has a ubiquitous expression in blood vessels and the placenta [62]. Pregnancy factors such as preeclampsia lowers the amounts of Sema 3F expression, but this deficit was not expressed in the placenta of the DLX5/6 Cre -Sema 3F F/F mouse [12]. The immunologic synapse contains both NRP1 and NRP2 signaling components [63].…”

“…Functional genomic work has implicated a wide array of transcriptome pathways (synaptic, immune, cell cycle, DNA damage, WNT signaling, cortical patterning/differentiation in ASD) [9]. A recent report documented reductions of the axon guidance ligand semaphorin 3F (Sema 3F) and its receptor, neuropilin 2 (NRP2), expression in pregnant women with preeclampsia, another putative risk factor for ASD [10–12]. Thus, the interactions of pregnancy factors with developing brain can impact biological processes such as GABAergic neurogenesis, thereby contributing to the development of ASD.…”

Serum Levels of BAFF and APRIL Predict Clinical Response in Anti-PLA2R-Positive Primary Membranous Nephropathy

“…Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), as previously described [32–36]. Variable distribution was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.…”

PTX3 modulates the immunoflogosis in tumor microenvironment and is a prognostic factor for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

“…Specific fluorescence was evaluated by confocal microscopy using the Leica TCS SP5 (Leica, Wetzlar, Germany) equipped with argon-krypton (488 nm), green-neon (543 nm), and helium-neon (633 nm) lasers. Fluorescence quantification was performed as previously described [68,69].…”