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Reduced Endothelial Progenitor Cells: A Possible Biomarker for Idiopathic Fetal Growth Restriction in Human
Apurva Singh1,2, Shyam Pyari Jaiswar1, Apala Priyadarshini1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow.
Insights
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) increase during healthy pregnancies but are lower in fetal growth restriction (FGR). Measuring EPCs may aid in FGR prognosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Cellular biology
- Maternal-fetal medicine
Background:
- Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are vital for placentation and embryonic development.
- Standardized methods for quantifying EPCs are lacking, hindering pregnancy research.
- EPC levels during pregnancy require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in EPC levels in healthy pregnancies.
- To compare EPC levels between healthy and idiopathic fetal growth restriction (FGR) pregnancies.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to identify and quantify EPCs (CD45dim/CD34/KDR cells) in maternal blood.
- ELISA measured plasmatic cytokine levels.
- Study included healthy pregnant women, women with FGR, and non-pregnant controls across trimesters.
Main Results:
- EPC counts progressively increased throughout healthy pregnancies, notably in the third trimester.
- Pregnancies complicated by FGR exhibited significantly impaired EPC levels compared to healthy controls.
- Lower levels of placental growth factor and stromal-derived factor-1 were observed in FGR pregnancies.
Conclusions:
- EPC counts show potential as a diagnostic marker for monitoring pregnancy status.
- EPCs may offer a target for novel prognostic and therapeutic strategies for FGR.
- Further research into EPCs could advance the management of pregnancy complications.
Background:
Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may be necessary throughout pregnancy by ensuring proper placentation and embryonic growth. The lack of standardized EPC quantification techniques has prevented conclusive proof of an increase in EPC during pregnancy.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether EPC levels change for healthy and idiopathic fetal growth restriction (FGR) pregnancies.
Materials And Methods:
The study population consisted of 48 healthy pregnant females with no previous history of IUGR (10 in the first trimester, 15 in the second, and 23 in the third), 48 women with pregnancy complicated by idiopathic FGR, and 15 non-pregnant women. By using flow cytometry, EPCs in maternal blood were recognized as CD45dim/CD34/KDR cells. ELISA was used to measure plasmatic cytokines.
Results:
We ascertained a progressive rise in EPCs in healthy pregnancies that was apparent in the first but more pronounced in the third trimester. At comparable gestational ages, FGR-complicated pregnancies had impaired EPC growth. Placental growth factor and stromal-derived factor-1 levels in the blood were significantly lower in FGR than in healthy pregnancies, which may have contributed to the degradation of the EPCs.
Conclusion:
The count in EPCs might hold considerable promise toward developing a peculiar authentication marker for observing pregnancies, and could be the focus of cutting-edge tactics for the prognosis and treatment of FGR pregnancies.
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