Matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 as markers for the prediction of preeclampsia in the first trimester.

INTRODUCTION: Preeclampsia is a life-threatening condition for the mother and foetus. Globally, it is dia-gnosed in 10 mil. women every year, which accounts for 3% to 8% of all pregnancies. Currently there is no proven effective treatment for preeclampsia. The aforesaid text actualises the issue of predicting this complication. To determine the prognostic significance of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 levels as early markers of preeclampsia, the present prospective study was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The levels of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 were assessed in 72 patients. Thirty-four of them subsequently developed preeclampsia during pregnancy (20 patients with moderate preeclampsia, 14 patients with severe preeclampsia), and constituted the basic group; 38 patients made up the control group. RESULTS: In pregnant women with the subsequent development of preeclampsia, the level of matrix metalloproteinase-2 at 11-13 weeks of gestation was 155 ± 73.4 ng/mL and significantly exceeded its level in pregnant women without hypertensive disorders - 75.0 ± 32.8 ng/mL. The study conducted demonstrates a significantly lower concentration of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in pregnant women with preeclampsia compared to the control - 749 ± 296 ng/mL and 1,667 ± 552 ng/mL (P < 0.001). The performed research figures that in the first trimester, the cut-off value of matrix metalloproteinase-2 for predicting the development of preeclampsia is 102 ng/mL (sensitivity 88.24% and specificity 82.76%). For matrix metalloproteinase-9, a level of 980 ng/mL in the first trimester predicts the development of preeclampsia with a sensitivity of 85.29% and a specificity of 84.48%. CONCLUSION: The study established the cut-off values of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 for predicting the development of preeclampsia in the first trimester.

A Data-Driven Review of the Genetic Factors of Pregnancy Complications.

Over the recent years, many advances have been made in the research of the genetic factors of pregnancy complications. In this work, we use publicly available data repositories, such as the National Human Genome Research Institute GWAS Catalog, HuGE Navigator, and the UK Biobank genetic and phenotypic dataset to gain insights into molecular pathways and individual genes behind a set of pregnancy-related traits, including the most studied ones-preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and placental abruption. Using both HuGE and GWAS Catalog data, we confirm that immune system and, in particular, T-cell related pathways are one of the most important drivers of pregnancy-related traits. Pathway analysis of the data reveals that cell adhesion and matrisome-related genes are also commonly involved in pregnancy pathologies. We also find a large role of metabolic factors that affect not only gestational diabetes, but also the other traits. These shared metabolic genes include IGF2, PPARG, and NOS3. We further discover that the published genetic associations are poorly replicated in the independent UK Biobank cohort. Nevertheless, we find novel genome-wide associations with pregnancy-related traits for the FBLN7, STK32B, and ACTR3B genes, and replicate the effects of the KAZN and TLE1 genes, with the latter being the only gene identified across all data resources. Overall, our analysis highlights central molecular pathways for pregnancy-related traits, and suggests a need to use more accurate and sophisticated association analysis strategies to robustly identify genetic risk factors for pregnancy complications.