TY - JOUR
T1 - Placental gene expression and antibody levels of mother-neonate pairs reveal an enhanced risk for inflammation in a helminth endemic country
AU - Ludwig, Esther
AU - Harder, Jutta
AU - Lacorcia, Matthew
AU - Honkpehedji, Yabo Josiane
AU - Nouatin, Odilon Paterne
AU - van Dam, Govert J.
AU - Corstjens, Paul L.A.M.
AU - Sartono, Erliyani
AU - Esen, Meral
AU - Lobmaier, Silvia M.
AU - Adegnika, Ayola Akim
AU - Prazeres da Costa, Clarissa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).
PY - 2019/12/1
Y1 - 2019/12/1
N2 - In utero exposure to environmental factors can modify the development of allergies later in life whereby the mechanisms of the feto-maternal crosstalk still remain largely unknown. Murine studies revealed that inflammatory maternal signals elicited by chronic helminth infection within the placenta imprint a distinct gene expression profile related to the Vitamin-D-receptor (VDR)-inflammation-axis. We thus investigated whether pro- or anti- inflammatory immune responses as well as VDR and related gene expression within the placenta differ between women from helminth-endemic and non-endemic areas. A prospective pilot study was conducted in Munich, Germany (helminth non-endemic) and Lambaréné, Gabon (helminth-endemic). At delivery, clinical information alongside placenta tissue samples and maternal and cord blood were obtained for further laboratory analysis. Schistosoma haematobium infection was detected in 13/54 (23%) Gabonese women. RT PCR revealed significantly lower gene expression of VDR, Cyp27b1, Foxp3 and IL10 in Gabonese compared to German placentae as well as significantly lower levels of plasma IgG4 in newborns resulting in a significantly higher IgE/IgG4 ratio. These findings demonstrate that exposure in utero to different environments alters placental gene expression and thus possibly plays a role in the development and modulation of the immune system of the offspring.
AB - In utero exposure to environmental factors can modify the development of allergies later in life whereby the mechanisms of the feto-maternal crosstalk still remain largely unknown. Murine studies revealed that inflammatory maternal signals elicited by chronic helminth infection within the placenta imprint a distinct gene expression profile related to the Vitamin-D-receptor (VDR)-inflammation-axis. We thus investigated whether pro- or anti- inflammatory immune responses as well as VDR and related gene expression within the placenta differ between women from helminth-endemic and non-endemic areas. A prospective pilot study was conducted in Munich, Germany (helminth non-endemic) and Lambaréné, Gabon (helminth-endemic). At delivery, clinical information alongside placenta tissue samples and maternal and cord blood were obtained for further laboratory analysis. Schistosoma haematobium infection was detected in 13/54 (23%) Gabonese women. RT PCR revealed significantly lower gene expression of VDR, Cyp27b1, Foxp3 and IL10 in Gabonese compared to German placentae as well as significantly lower levels of plasma IgG4 in newborns resulting in a significantly higher IgE/IgG4 ratio. These findings demonstrate that exposure in utero to different environments alters placental gene expression and thus possibly plays a role in the development and modulation of the immune system of the offspring.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074240627&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-019-52074-z
DO - 10.1038/s41598-019-52074-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 31673046
AN - SCOPUS:85074240627
VL - 9
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 15776
ER -