zugewiesene Abstracts

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. One of the key players in the pathogenesis of PE seems to be an excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Metabolites of the arachidonic acid (AA) pathway, the eicosanoids, particularly Cysteinyl Leukotrienes (CysLTs), could be interesting target molecules in the pathogenesis of PE, as CysLTs and their respective receptors, are known to be involved in several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Therefore, the aim of our prospective case-matched controlled non-interventional pilot study was to compare CysLT receptor 1 (CysLTR1) expression in placental tissue and CysLT plasma levels in patients with PE vs. healthy pregnant controls using immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy and ELISA method.

A significant increase of CysLTR1 protein expression in PE samples was revealed by IF, which was in accordance with an increase in CysLT plasma levels, including Cys-LTC4, -LTD4 and -LTE4. Interestingly, CysLTR1 mRNA expression levels did not significantly differ between both groups.

Thus, our study highlights the possible potential of CysLTs as new clinical targets in the pathogenesis, prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of PE.