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Placental Molecular Expression of Different Pathogenic Vaginal Infections
Daniela Roxana Matasariu1,2, Constantin Condac3,4, Victoria Bîrluțiu4
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Cuza Voda" Hospital, 700038 Iasi, Romania.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|April 17, 2025
Summary
Pathogen-specific vaginal infections alter placental marker expression, impacting pregnancy outcomes. Understanding these changes, like vitamin D receptor (VDR) and CD44, can help predict risks and improve maternal and fetal health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive immunology and placental biology.
- Microbiome and maternal-fetal health.
- Infectious disease pathology in pregnancy.
Background:
- Vaginal infections during pregnancy are linked to adverse outcomes.
- Placental marker expression may be altered by specific pathogens.
- Understanding these alterations is crucial for risk stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate differential expression of placental markers: vitamin D receptor (VDR), CD44, osteopontin (OPN), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).
- To investigate pathogen-specific impacts on these markers in vaginal infections.
- To correlate marker expression with pregnancy complications and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of placental tissues.
- Comparison between healthy controls (70 women) and infection groups (78 women).
- Infection groups included Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Ureaplasma urealyticum, Enterobacteriaceae (including Klebsiella), and Candida species.
Main Results:
- High expression of VDR, CD44, OPN, and COX-2 observed with GBS and Ureaplasma urealyticum infections.
- Moderate expression with Enterobacteriaceae (except Klebsiella); low expression with Klebsiella and Candida species.
- Pathogen virulence and immune evasion strategies correlate with marker expression levels.
Conclusions:
- Pathogen-specific placental marker expression patterns are identified.
- These alterations may contribute to differential risk of pregnancy complications.
- Targeting these pathways could potentially mitigate adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.
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