Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Department of Nephrology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2021 Aug;9(8):e1730. doi: 10.1002/mgg3.1730. Epub 2021 Jul 2.
PE is a pregnancy-specific syndrome that affects 3%-5% of pregnant women. It often presents as new-onset hypertension and proteinuria during the third trimester. PE progresses rapidly and may lead to serious complications, including the death of both mother and fetus. In low-income countries, PE is one of the main causes of maternal and child mortality. While the cause of PE is still debated, clinical and pathological studies suggest that the placenta plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PE.
In this single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) study, the placenta was taken from the designated position after cesarean section. We compared placental cell subsets and their transcriptional heterogeneity between preeclampsia and healthy pregnancies using the single-cell RNA-seq technology. A developmental trajectory of human trophoblasts was shown.
Gene expression in endoplasmic reticulum signaling pathways in syncytiotrophoblast was upregulated in the PE group. The villi cytotrophoblasts (VCT) and extravillous trophoblasts were mainly involved in immune responses.
The placental immune function of patients with PE was altered. Proteasomes, spliceosomes, ribosomes, and mitochondria were abnormally active in the new VCT cell type.
PE 是一种妊娠特有的综合征，影响 3%-5%的孕妇。它通常在妊娠晚期表现为新出现的高血压和蛋白尿。PE 进展迅速，可能导致严重并发症，包括母婴死亡。在低收入国家，PE 是孕产妇和儿童死亡的主要原因之一。虽然 PE 的病因仍存在争议，但临床和病理研究表明，胎盘在 PE 的发病机制中起重要作用。
在这项单细胞 RNA 测序 (RNA-seq) 研究中，我们在剖宫产时从指定位置取胎盘。我们使用单细胞 RNA-seq 技术比较了 PE 组和健康妊娠组胎盘细胞亚群及其转录异质性。显示了人类滋养细胞的发育轨迹。
合胞滋养层中内质网信号通路的基因表达在 PE 组中上调。绒毛滋养细胞（VCT）和绒毛外滋养细胞主要参与免疫反应。
PE 患者的胎盘免疫功能发生改变。新的 VCT 细胞类型中蛋白酶体、剪接体、核糖体和线粒体异常活跃。
