ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: There is evidence of a probable key role of the activator protein-2 γ (AP-2γ) in placental development. It is still an open question whether AP-2γ expression may be influenced by preeclampsia, which is a serious pregnancy complication, or by smoking, which has deleterious effects on trophoblastic development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thus, the expression of AP-2γ was studied in trophoblastic epithelium and endothelium of placentas from patients with preeclampsia (n = 43) and smokers (n = 45) as well as placentas of healthy pregnant women (control group, n = 26) between gestational ages 23 and 43 weeks. To allow differential expression in primary, secondary and tertiary villi, AP-2γ expression (arbitrary units) was determined immunohistologically. RESULTS: In preeclamptic placentas trophoblastic as well as endothelial cells AP-2γ expression was significantly higher compared to that in control placentas. Endothelial AP-2γ expression in placentas from smokers was similar to that of healthy women while trophoblastic AP-2γ expression in smokers' placenta was insignificantly higher compared to that of control placentas. In all three groups expression rates of AP-2γ did not differ between primary, secondary and tertiary villi. CONCLUSION: A correlation between increased trophoblastic and endothelial AP-2γ expression in patients with preeclampsia and reduced trophoblastic invasion and migration in preeclampsia has to be discussed. Furthermore, increased AP-2γ expression may play a protective role in preeclampsia, protecting from raised blood pressure. The tendency of an enhanced trophoblastic AP-2γ expression in smokers may indicate a compensatory response to the disturbed balance between proliferation and differentiation of villi induced by smoking.
