Roles Of Chemokines And Their Receptors In Pathogenesis Of Preterm Labor

Roles of chemokines and their receptors in pathogenesis of preterm laborPart Ⅰ Expression of chemokine receptor in placental villi of different gestational durations Objectives: To probe into the dynamical expressions of chemokine receptors at the maternal-fetal interface in different gestational durations.Materials and methods: Placental samples were obtained from placentae of 1st trimester, 2nd trimester, and 3rd trimester in the Obstetrics and gynecology hospital of Fudan university. Expressions of 18 chemokine receptors were investigated by RT-PCR.Results: The CCR2 and CCR6 mRNA transcriptions in placental villi increased with gestational duration. The CCR5 and CCR7 mRNA transcriptions in placental villi decreased with gestational duration. The CCR1, CCR3, CCR4, CCR8, CCR9, CCR10, CXCR2, and CX3CR1 mRNA transcriptions in placental villi were highest in 2nd trimester and lowest in 1st trimester. The XCR1 mRNA transcription in placental villi was highest in 1st trimester. There was no significant mRNA expression difference of the CXCR1, CXCR3, CXCR4 and CXCR6 in placental villi among different trimesters. There was no expression of CXCR5 mRNA at the maternal-fetal interface in different gestational durations.Conclusion: There were some regular changes at the maternal-fetal interface expressions of chemokine receptors with the gestational duration increasing.Part Ⅱ Roles of the chemokine receptor transcription at materno-fetal interface in preterm laborObjectives: To find the chemokine receptors of expressions in placenta villi in preterm labor, and to analyse the ligands of the high trancription chemokine receptor at the maternal-fetalinterface. To address the possible roles of chemokine receptor-ligand pairs of high or law expressions in preterm labor.Materials and methods: Placentae and deciduas were obtained from 20 women in the following groups: 10 preterm labor samples, 10 preterm samples from artificial labor. Expressions of the 18 chemokine receptors were accomplished by RT-PCR. The ligands of the high expressional chemokine receptors were further investigated by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in placental villi and deciduas.Results: The placental villi of preterm labor showed a higher expression of CCR5, CCR7, CCR8, and CCR9 mRNA than that of artificial labor with the same pregnant trimester. There was significant difference between the two groups (range, 0.623±0.144 vs. 0.268±0.22, 0.571±0.216 VS 0.268±0.105, 0.636±0.298 vs. 0.257±0.161, 0.573±0.213 vs. 0.25±0.163, P<0.01). The placental villi of preterm labor showed a significant lower expression of CX3CR1 mRNA than that of artificial labor with the same pregnant trimester (range, 0.725±0.1493 vs 0.261±0.0648, P<0.05). There was no expression of CXCR5mRNA on placental villi in any group. We observed mRNA expression of MIP-1α,MIP-1β,RANTES of CCR5 ligands in placental villi from preterm labor. There was no expression of MIP-1α,MIP-1β,RANTES, but appeared CCR5 mRNA expression on deciduas. The CCR5 translation was found on the placental trophoblast layer, vessel wall and macrophages (Hofbauer cells) in preterm labor group.Conclusion: CCR5, CCR7, CCR8 and CCR9 mRNA expressions were higher in the placental villi of preterm labor. There appeared also mRNA expressions of CCR5 ligand, chemokine MIP-1α, MIP-1β, RANTES in placental villi of preterm labor. These results suggest a role of CCR5 chemokine receptor-ligand pairs in pathogenesis of preterm labor.