Role of kisspeptins in the development of earlyand late-onset preeclampsia
Extravillous trophoblast invasion into uterine tissue is a key process of successful embryogenesis and placentation. The important role in placentation processes is assigned to the so-called kisspeptins and their receptors. Objective. To study the immunohistochemical features of the expression of KISS and its receptor GPr54 in the placental terminal villi in preeclampsia. Subject and methods. The study enrolled 55 patients aged 18 to 41 years. Group 1 consisted of 15 pregnant women with early-onset (at less than 34 weeks of gestation) preeclampsia. Group 2 comprised 20 pregnant women aged 23 to 41 years with late-onset (at more than 34 weeks of gestation) preeclampsia. According to the severity of preeclampsia, each group was divided into subgroups: moderate and severe. A control group included 20patients with physiological pregnancy and no extragenital abnormality. Results. Early-onset preeclampsia differed significantly from late-onset one and limited to time of pregnancy prolongation. Cases of early-onset severe preeclampsia showed the higher expressions of KISS-1 in the syncytiotrophoblast and endothelium of terminal villous capillaries than the controls. The expression of GPR54 in the placental villous syncytiotrophoblast in late-onset preeclampsia was lower than the control one. Conclusion. The found increased expression of KISS and its receptor GPR54 in the placental terminal villi in early-onset preeclampsia reflects limited trophoblast invasion processes. Heterodirectional changes in the intensity of KISS and GPR54 responses in the cases of late-onset preeclampsia suggest that there are differences in the morpho- and pathogenesis of early-onset and severe preeclampsia.