Maternal peripheral blood gene expression in early pregnancy and preeclampsia

We investigated associations of early pregnancy maternal peripheral blood gene expression with preeclampsia. In a nested case control study, gene expression of peripheral blood, collected at 16weeks of gestation on average from 16 women destined to develop preeclampsia and 16 women who had normotensive pregnancies was profiled using Affymetrix GeneChip Arrays. Fold change and Student's T-test analyses were used to compare differential gene expression across the groups. Functions and functional relationships as well as common regulatory sequences of differentially expressed genes were investigated. Genes participating in abnormal placentation (e.g COL1A1), immune/inflammation response (e.g. IKBKB) and cellular development (including cell cycle) (e.g. RBI) were differentially expressed in early pregnancy peripheral blood in preeclampsia. We identified transcription factors (i.e. Sp1, MAZ and MZF1) that may account for co-expression of differentially expressed genes. Preeclampsia is associated with differential gene expression in early pregnancy peripheral blood.