Circulating Chemerin Is Elevated in Women With Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a severe complication of pregnancy. Chemerin is an adipokine secreted from adipose tissue and highly expressed in placenta. This study evaluated the biomarker potential of circulating chemerin to predict preeclampsia.

Maternal plasma and placenta were collected from women with early-onset preeclampsia (<34 weeks), with preeclampsia and eclampsia, or before preeclampsia diagnosis (36 weeks). Human trophoblast stem cells were differentiated into syncytiotrophoblast or extravillous trophoblasts across 96 hours. Cells were cultured in 1% O2 (hypoxia) or 5% O2 (normoxia). Chemerin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and RARRES2 (gene coding chemerin) by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Circulating chemerin was increased in 46 women with early-onset preeclampsia (<34 weeks) compared to 17 controls (P < .0006). Chemerin was increased in placenta from 43 women with early-onset preeclampsia compared to 24 controls (P < .0001). RARRES2 was reduced in placenta from 43 women with early-onset preeclampsia vs 24 controls (P < .0001). Chemerin was increased in plasma from 26 women with established preeclampsia (P = .006), vs 15 controls. Circulating chemerin was increased in 23 women who later developed preeclampsia vs 182 who did not (P = 3.23 × 10-6). RARRES2 was reduced in syncytiotrophoblast (P = .005) or extravillous trophoblasts (P < .0001). Hypoxia increased RARRES2 expression in syncytiotrophoblast (P = .01) but not cytotrophoblast cells.

Circulating chemerin was elevated in women with early-onset preeclampsia, established preeclampsia, and preceding preeclampsia diagnosis of preeclampsia. RARRES2 was dysregulated in placenta complicated by preeclampsia and may be regulated through hypoxia. Chemerin may have potential as a biomarker for preeclampsia but would need to be combined with other biomarkers.