Variable effect of maternal oral glucose load on circulating cell-free placental mRNAs

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2017 Mar;30(5):501-503. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2016.1177815. Epub 2016 May 5.

Abstract

Background: It is not known whether fasting affects levels of circulating placenta-specific transcripts.

Objective: To assess whether a glucose load affects circulating placenta-specific transcripts.

Method: RNA was extracted from paired blood samples (fasting and 1-h post 75 g oral glucose) from 22 women. Placenta-specific genes were measured by RT-qPCR.

Results: There was no change in ADM, CSH1, PAPPA2, PSG1 or TAC3 expression between fasting and post-glucose states. However, HTRA1 decreased after glucose load.

Conclusion: Maternal fasting state does not influence expression of the majority of placenta-specific genes but may need to be accounted for when validating biomarkers of placental disease.

Keywords: Biomarker; fasting; gene; pregnancy; transcription.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Fasting / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / blood
  • Gene Expression*
  • Glucose / metabolism*
  • High-Temperature Requirement A Serine Peptidase 1
  • Humans
  • Placenta / metabolism*
  • Placental Circulation
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / genetics
  • Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / blood*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / blood*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • RNA, Messenger
  • High-Temperature Requirement A Serine Peptidase 1
  • HTRA1 protein, human
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A
  • Glucose