Changes in amniotic fluid and umbilical cord serum proteomic profiles of foetuses with intrauterine growth retardation

Abstract

Foetal growth is a result of a complex net of processes, requiring coordination within the maternal, placental, and foetal compartments, the imbalance or lack of which may lead to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). IUGR is the major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, and is also related to enhanced morbidity and metabolic abnormalities later in life. In the present study, the protein profiles of umbilical cord serum (UCS) and amniotic fluid (AF) of ten IUGR and ten appropriate for gestational age newborns have been analysed by 2-DE, and nanoHPLC-Chip/MS technology. A total of 18 and 13 spots were found to be differentially expressed (p<0.01) in UCS and AF respectively. The unique differentially expressed proteins identified by MS/MS analysis were 14 in UCS, and 11 in AF samples. Protein gene ontology classification indicate that 21% of proteins are involved in inflammatory response, 20% in immune response, while a smaller proportion are related to transport, blood pressure, and coagulation. These results support the conclusion that the IUGR condition alters the expression of proteins involved in the coagulation process, immune mechanisms, blood pressure and iron and copper homeostasis control, offering a new insight into IUGR pathogenesis.

Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction in Monochorionic Twin Pregnancies: Markers of Endothelial Damage and Metabolomic Profile

“…Utilizing this technique, our previous studies detected significant differences in the distribution of essential amino acids (Favretto et al, 2012) and in the expression of proteins (Cecconi et al, 2011) between IUGR and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) single fetuses.…”

The Use of Proteomics in Assisted Reproduction

“…APOE, complement factor B (CFB), amyloid P component), serum (APCS) (up-regulated), matrin-3 and osteopontin (down-regulated) were previously associated with DS (139). Interestingly, the other proteins were related to iron and copper homeostasis, blood pressure, and coagulation, all components of the metabolic syndrome, which is a known long-term consequence of IUGR in adult life (141). Finally, a more recent study explored the proteomic profile of IUGR placentas through TMT-labeling, to reveal 95 differentially expressed proteins compared to placentas from normal pregnancies (142).…”

Application of Intima Media Thickness Measurement and Omics in Intrauterine Growth Restriction Disease

“…The same investigation was applied to twin pregnancies [41]. Thought to represent a special category of stunted fetal growth, twins have a higher risk of diseases associated with LBW and major incidence of morbidity and mortality [42]. Compared with singletons, the growth rate of twin fetuses is often characterized by a higher incidence of IUGR in one of the fetuses, varying from 15% to 25% in all monochorionic pregnancies, and frequently associated with Doppler velocimetry alterations [43].…”