Transcript Akrem A. Abdulsid

TLR Expression in the Placenta during
Labour and Pre-eclampsia
Akrem Abdulsid, Alexander Fletcher and Fiona Lyall.
School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Background
The mechanisms that are involved in maintaining a human
pregnancy to term, and the switches that lead to a normal
labour and pregnancy outcome or indeed an adverse
outcome such as miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, fetal growth
restriction or preterm labour, are complex but the role of the
placenta is crucial to them all. TLR family members are
expressed differentially in a variety of cells and tissues. Tolllike receptors (TLR) are the principal signalling molecules
through which mammals’ sense infection, so called innate
immunity.
Results
Results
Results 1: TLR9 and 10 were detected but at very low
levels in the human placenta (not shown).
Results 4: At the inner and middle zones there was a
significant decrease in TLR1 expression in the labour preeclampsia group compared to the labour control group
(p=0.04, p=0.002).
Results 2: TLRs 1-8 were all expressed in the placenta but
there was no significant difference between the three zones
(inner, middle and outer). Three examples (TLR 4,5 and 6)
are shown in Fig 2.
Aim
The first aim of this study was to examine the spatial
expression of TLR in placentas. The second aim was to
determine the expression of TLRs in normal pregnancy and
pre-eclampsia.
Methods
Patients and Methods:1 Samples were obtained from 12
sites within each placenta: 4 equally spaced apart pieces
were sampled from inner, middle and outer zones from the
cord insertion point. Non-labour, labour, PE and non-labour
PE were studied (n=6 per group). Patients were matched for
gestational age Fig. 1.
Fig 4: Combined analysis of TLR1 expression in control-labour and preeclampsia-labour groups.
Fig 2: Real time PCR analysis for 6 placentas in different zones of TLR4, 5 and
6. RQ values are shown as median and median deviation
Results 3: At the middle zone TLR5 expression was
significant decrease in the labour group compared to nonlabour group (p=0.004).
Results 4 (cont): Next all labour and non-labour were
combined. At the inner and middle zones there was a
significant decrease in TLR1 expression in the
preeclampsia group compared to the normal pregnancy
(p=0.04, p=0.002).
Fig 5: Real time PCR analysis for the same samples
Fig 3:: Combined analysis of TLR 5 expression in inner, middle and outer
zones
Publication
Fig 1: picture of sampling methods
Patients and Methods:2
TLRs gene expression was investigated by qRT-PCR
using validated TagMan® Gene Expression assay.
1.
Heat shock protein 27 expression is spatially distributed in human placenta and
selectively regulated during preeclampsia. Journal of Reproductive Immunology
2.
Heat shock protein 27 is spatially distributed in the human placenta and
decreased during labor. PLoS ONE,
3.
Heat shock protein 70 expression is spatially distributed in human placenta and
selectively upregulated during labor and preeclampsia. PloS ONE..
Results 5: No other differences were found in TLR gene
expression.
Conclusion
TLRs may play a role in the physiology of labour and the
pathology of pre-eclampsia.
Acknowledgment
This work is supported by Libyan Ministry of Higher
Education, Libya.
Akrem Abdulsid email address: [email protected]