Expression of toll-like receptor TLR-2, TLR-3, TLR-4 and TLR-9 is increased in placentas from patients with preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Few studies have examined the presence of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in term placentas from women with preeclampsia, such, have focused on TLR-4 and TLR-2 analysis. Whereas an increase in TLR-4 immunostaining has been observed in preeclampsia, it is even higher in placentas with chorioamnionitis compared with normal pregnancy. Expression of TLR-2 has not been associated with preeclampsia. The relationship of TLR-3 and TLR-9, which may recognize dsRNA or DNA, either derived either from microorganisms or from apoptotic cells and thus may be involved with this pathology, has not been studied in term placentas. We undertook this study to determine if there are changes in the expression and localization of TLR-2, TLR-4, TLR-3 and TLR-9 in preeclamptic term placentas as compared with normal placentas. METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional and comparative study was done in a group of ten patients with 38-40 gestation weeks, both in preeclamptic and control cases. Immunofluorescence detection of TLRs was performed in samples of placenta and analyzed by confocal microscopy. RESULTS: It was observed that TLR-2, TLR-3, TLR-4 and TLR-9 were expressed both in normal and preeclamptic placentas, in the trophoblast, at the vascular endothelium (where TLR-2 and TLR-9 staining was pronounced), and at placental villous stroma, although increased expression was detected in preeclampsia. In addition, co-localization of TLR-2 and TLR-4 as well as of TLR-3 and TL9 was found in the trophoblast. CONCLUSIONS: TLR-2, -3, -4 and -9 expressions are increased in preeclamptic placentas. However, more studies are required to determine the role of TLRs in pregnancy immunology and to establish its relationship with preeclampsia.

Frequency of vacA, cagA and babA2 virulence markers in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from Mexican patients with chronic gastritis.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori has been strongly associated with chronic gastritis, peptic and duodenal ulcers, and it is a risk factor for gastric cancer. Three major virulence factors of H. pylori have been described: the vacuolating toxin (VacA), the cytotoxin-associated gene product (CagA) and the adhesion protein BabA2. Since considerable geographic diversity in the prevalence of H. pylori virulence factors has been reported, the aim of this work was to establish the H. pylori and vacA, cagA and babA2 gene status in 238 adult patients, from a marginal urban area of Mexico, with chronic gastritis. METHODS: H. pylori was identified in cultures of gastric biopsies by nested PCR. vacA and cagA genes were detected by multiplex PCR, whereas babA2 gene was identified by conventional PCR. RESULTS: H. pylori-positive biopsies were 143 (60.1%). All H. pylori strains were vacA+; 39.2% were cagA+; 13.3% were cagA+ babA2+ and 8.4% were babA2+. Mexican strains examined possessed the vacA s1, m1 (43.4%), s1, m2 (24.5%), s2, m1 (20.3%) and s2, m2 (11.9%) genotypes. CONCLUSION: These results show that the Mexican patients suffering chronic gastritis we have studied had a high incidence of infection by H. pylori. Forty four percent (63/143) of the H. pylori strains analyzed in this work may be considered as highly virulent since they possessed two or three of the virulence markers analyzed: vacA s1 cagA babA2 (9.8%, 14/143), vacA s1 babA2 (4.9%, 7/143), and vacA s1 cagA (29.4%, 42/143). However, a statistically significant correlation was not observed between vacAs1, cagA and babA2 virulence markers (chi2 test; P > 0.05).