Reduced expression of COMT in placenta correlates with term preeclampsia
- 1 Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, South Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- 2 Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, South Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- 3 Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, South Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- 4 Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, South Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- 5 Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, South Medical University, Shenzhen, China
Abstract
O bjective: To investigate the expression of catechol-O- methyltransferase (COMT) in placentas from term preeclampsia patients in a Chinese cohort and to analyze the relationships between COMT and mean artery pressure (MAP), serum uric acid and 24-hour urine protein. Methods: 15 term pregnant patients with preeclampsia and 15 normal pregnant women were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and placental tissu e were collected. Placental COMT expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR technique a nd immunohistochemistry. Results: The level of COMT mRNA in placentas from the preeclampsia group was significantly decreased than that in the normal pregnant women (0.00179 ± 0.00051 vs. 0.00289 ± 0.00066, t = 5.145, P < 0.001). Adjusted by age and body mass index (BMI), the COMT expression was negatively correlated with serum uric acid ( r = ?0.660, P < 0.001), 24-hour urine protein ( r = ?0.717, P < 0.001) and MAP ( r = ?0.619, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The decreased expression of COMT in placentas from term preeclamptic patients and the significant relation between COMT and severity index of preeclampsia suggest that COMT may play a role in the pathogenesis of term preeclampsia.
- Hertig, A. and Liere, P. (2010) New markers in preeclampsia. Clinica Chimica Acta, 411, 1591-1595. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2010.07.020
- Kanasaki, K., Palmsten, K., Sugimoto, H., et al. (2008) Deficiency in catechol-O-methyltransferase and 2-methoxyoestradiol is associated with pre-eclampsia. Nature, 453, 1117-1121. doi:10.1038/nature06951
- Lee, S.B., Wong, A.P., Kanasaki, K., et al. (2010) Preeclampsia: 2-methoxyestradiol induces cytotrophoblast invasion and vascular development specifically under hypoxic conditions. American Journal of Pathology, 176, 710-720. doi:10.2353/ajpath.2010.090513
- Kenneth, L., Hall, D.R., Gebhardt, S. and Grove, D. (2010) Late onset preeclampsia is not an innocuous condition. Hypertens Pregnancy, 29, 262-270. doi:10.3109/10641950902777697
- Soslow, R.A., Dannenberg, A.J., Rush, D., et al. (2000) COX-2 is expressed in human pulmonary, colonic, and mammary tumors. Cancer, 89, 2637-2645. doi:10.1002/1097-0142(20001215)89:12 3.0.CO;2-B
- Mannisto, P.T. and Kaakkola, S. (1999) Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT): Biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and clinical efficacy of the new selective COMT inhibitors. Pharmacological Reviews, 51, 593-628.
- Barnea, E.R., Maclusky, N.J., Decherney, A.H. and Naftolin, F. (1988) Catechol-o-methyl transferase activity in the human term placenta. American Journal of Perinatology, 5, 121-27. doi:10.1055/s-2007-999669
- Casey, M.L. and Macdonald, P.C. (1983) Characterization of catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in human uterine decidua vera tissue. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 145, 453-457.
- Palmer, K., Saglam, B., Whitehead, C., Stock, O., Lappas, M. and Tong, S. (2011) Severe early-onset preeclampsia is not associated with a change in placental catechol Omethyltransferase (COMT) expression. American Journal of Pathology, 178, 2484-2488. doi:10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.02.029
- Seol, H.J., Cho, G.J., Oh, M.J. and Kim, H.J. (2013) 2-Methoxyoestradiol levels and placental catechol-O-methyltransferase expression in patients with late-onset preeclampsia. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 287, 881-886. doi:10.1007/s00404-012-2663-1