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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas
Published on: January 26, 2024
[Relationship between imbalanced synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin alpha and beta subunits and
Hong-nu Chu1, Fu-zhen Zhou, Xing Xie
1Obstetrics and Gyneocology Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China.
Objective:
To study the relationship between imbalanced synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) alpha and beta subunits and the pathology of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH).
Methods:
Total hCG, free alphahCG and betahCG were measured in serum samples collected from 60 cases of PIH and 30 normal gravid women by radioimmunoassay. The ratio of total hCG/betahCG, betahCG/FalphahCG, (FalphahCG+betahCG)/betahCG were calculated. Immunohistochemical staining was performed in 13 placenta from each group.
Results:
In PIH group the levels of FalphahCG, total hCG and betahCG were significantly higher than those of normal group (FalphahCG: 528 +/-421 IU/L compared with 222 +/-129 IU/L; betahCG: 39396 +/-6412 IU/L compared with 24265 +/-5575 IU/L; total hCG: 66597 +/-9294 IU/L compared with 36078 +/-4767 IU/L, all P<0.001). The betahCG/FalphahCG ratio in PIH was lower than that of normal group (91.23 +/-53.38 Compared with 119.4 +/-80.1, P<0.05); (FalphahCG+betahCG)/betahCG ratio and total hCG/betahCG ratio in two groups were (1.022 +/-0.026 compared with 1.015 +/-0.011; 1.802 +/-0.339 compared with 1.807 +/-0.258, respectively P>0.05). The immunohistochemical intensity of betahCG and FalphahCG in syncytiotrophoblast was significantly increased in 13 PIH compared with the control.
Conclusion:
These data suggested that the imbalanced synthesis of hCG alpha and beta subunits may cause hypertension.
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