López-Guzmán Carolina, García Ana María, Vásquez Ana María
Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 62 #52-59, Torre 1, Laboratorio 610, Medellin 050001, Colombia.
Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 67 #53-108, Bloque 5, Oficina 5-135, Medellin 050001, Colombia.
Microorganisms. 2024 Aug 10;12(8):1640. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12081640.
Malaria during pregnancy has been associated with significant risks to both the mother and the fetus, leading to complications such as anemia, low birth weight, and increased infant mortality. The trophoblast cells, a key component of the placenta, are crucial for nutrient and oxygen exchange between mother and fetus. The differentiation of cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) into syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs) is critical for proper pregnancy development. These cells form the bi-stratified epithelium surrounding the placental villi. While previous studies have described an inflammatory activation of STB cells exposed to -infected erythrocytes (-IE) or components such as hemozoin (HZ), little is known about the direct effect this parasite may have on the epithelial turnover and function of trophoblast cells. This study aims to contribute to understanding mechanisms leading to placental damage during placental malaria using a BeWo cell line as a differentiation model. It was found that -IE interferes with the fusion of BeWo cells, affecting the differentiation process of trophoblast. A reduction in syncytialization could be associated with the adverse effects of infection in fetal health, altering the remodeling of the trophoblast epithelial barrier and reducing their capacity to exchange substances. However, further studies are necessary to assess alterations in the functionality of this epithelium.
孕期疟疾对母亲和胎儿均有显著风险，可导致贫血、低出生体重和婴儿死亡率增加等并发症。滋养层细胞是胎盘的关键组成部分，对母体与胎儿之间的营养和氧气交换至关重要。细胞滋养层细胞（CTBs）向合体滋养层细胞（STBs）的分化对正常妊娠发育至关重要。这些细胞形成围绕胎盘绒毛的双分层上皮。虽然先前的研究描述了暴露于感染红细胞（-IE）或疟原虫色素（HZ）等成分的STB细胞的炎症激活，但对于这种寄生虫可能对滋养层细胞的上皮更新和功能产生的直接影响知之甚少。本研究旨在以BeWo细胞系作为分化模型，有助于理解胎盘疟疾期间导致胎盘损伤的机制。研究发现，-IE干扰BeWo细胞的融合，影响滋养层细胞的分化过程。合体化减少可能与感染对胎儿健康的不利影响有关，改变滋养层上皮屏障的重塑并降低其物质交换能力。然而，需要进一步研究来评估该上皮功能的改变。
