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Soluble B7‐H4 blood serum levels are elevated in women at high risk for preeclampsia in the first trimester, as well as in patients with confirmed preeclampsia
Author(s) -
Mach Pawel,
NolteBoenigk Luisa,
Droste Leonie,
Fox Laura,
Frank Mirjam,
Schmidt Boerge,
Herse Florian,
Verlohren Stefan,
Wicherek Lukasz,
Iannaccone Antonella,
Birdir Cahit,
Andrikos Dimitrios,
Kimmig Rainer,
Gellhaus Alexandra,
Köninger Angela
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/aji.12988
Subject(s) - preeclampsia , medicine , placenta , gestation , pregnancy , endocrinology , fetus , obstetrics , biology , genetics
Problem B7‐H4 negatively regulates T‐cell‐mediated immunity and might play an important role in preeclampsia ( PE ). Here, we have investigated the association between PE and maternal soluble B7‐H4 ( sB 7‐H4) serum levels and B7‐H4 mRNA expression in the placenta. Method of study Maternal serum levels of sB 7‐H4 were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in women between 11 and 13 weeks’ gestation with elevated risk for PE (n = 48) and women without elevated risk for PE (n = 47). In the third trimester, sB 7‐H4 serum levels (n = 166) and B7‐H4 mRNA expression in the placenta (n = 54) were determined in women with early‐onset PE , late‐onset PE , fetal growth restriction ( FGR ), and in healthy controls. Results In the first trimester, significant higher levels of sB 7‐H4 were detected in women at elevated risk for PE compared to women without risk for PE ( P < .0001). sB 7‐H4 has some predictive ability to identify cases with an elevated risk of developing PE with area under the curve ( AUC ) value of 0.88 (95% CI 0.8‐0.94). Using a specificity of 90.0% led to a sensitivity of 47.9% and a threshold of 3.63 ng/ mL . In the third trimester, the highest serum levels of sB 7‐H4 and B7‐H4 mRNA expression in the placenta were observed in early‐onset PE . Significant higher serum levels of sB 7‐H4 and B7‐H4 mRNA expression in the placenta were observed in women with early‐onset PE ( P = .01 and P = .006, respectively) and late‐onset PE ( P = .03 and P = .004, respectively) compared to healthy controls, but not compared to FGR. Conclusion sB 7‐H4 is involved in the regulation of immune tolerance in women with PE in the third trimester. In the first trimester of pregnancy, sB 7‐H4 might serve as a predictive immunological biomarker for women who are at elevated risk of developing PE.