TLR Expression in the Placenta during Labour and Pre-eclampsia

1
TLR Expression in the Placenta during Labour and
Pre-eclampsia
Akrem Abdulsid, Alexander Fletcher and Fiona
Lyall. School of Medicine, University of
Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Background
Results
Results
Results 4 At the inner and middle zones there
was a significant decrease in TLR1 expression in
the labour pre-eclampsia group compared to the
labour control group (p0.04, p0.002).
Results 1 TLR9 and 10 were detected but at very
low levels in the human placenta (not shown).
The mechanisms that are involved in maintaining a
human pregnancy to term, and the switches that
lead to a normal labour and pregnancy outcome or
indeed an adverse outcome such as miscarriage,
pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction or
preterm labour, are complex but the role of the
placenta is crucial to them all. TLR family
members are expressed differentially in a variety
of cells and tissues. Toll-like receptors (TLR)
are the principal signalling molecules through
which mammals sense infection, so called innate
immunity.
Results 2 TLRs 1-8 were all expressed in the
placenta but there was no significant difference
between the three zones (inner, middle and
outer). Three examples (TLR 4,5 and 6) are shown
in Fig 2.
Aim
Fig 4 Combined analysis of TLR1 expression in
control-labour and pre-eclampsia-labour groups.
The first aim of this study was to examine the
spatial expression of TLR in placentas. The
second aim was to determine the expression of
TLRs in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia.
Results 4 (cont) Next all labour and non-labour
were combined. At the inner and middle zones
there was a significant decrease in TLR1
expression in the preeclampsia group compared to
the normal pregnancy (p0.04, p0.002).
Fig 2 Real time PCR analysis for 6 placentas in
different zones of TLR4, 5 and 6. RQ values are
shown as median and median deviation
Methods
Results 3 At the middle zone TLR5 expression was
significant decrease in the labour group compared
to non-labour group (p0.004).
Patients and Methods1 Samples were obtained from
12 sites within each placenta 4 equally spaced
apart pieces were sampled from inner, middle and
outer zones from the cord insertion point.
Non-labour, labour, PE and non-labour PE were
studied (n6 per group). Patients were matched
for gestational age Fig. 1.
Fig 5 Real time PCR analysis for the same samples
Results 5 No other differences were found in
TLR gene expression.
Fig 3 Combined analysis of TLR 5 expression in
inner, middle and outer zones
Conclusion
Publication
TLRs may play a role in the physiology of labour
and the pathology of pre-eclampsia.

1.  Heat shock protein 27 expression is spatially
   distributed in human placenta and selectively
   regulated during preeclampsia. Journal of
   Reproductive Immunology
2.  Heat shock protein 27 is spatially distributed
   in the human placenta and decreased during
   labor. PLoS ONE, 
3.  Heat shock protein 70 expression is spatially
   distributed in human placenta and selectively
   upregulated during labor and preeclampsia. PloS
   ONE..

Fig 1 picture of sampling methods
Patients and Methods2 TLRs gene expression was
investigated by qRT-PCR using validated TagMan
Gene Expression assay.
Acknowledgment
This work is supported by Libyan Ministry of
Higher Education, Libya. Akrem Abdulsid email
address a.abdulsid.1_at_research.gla.uk.ac