Orsaken till preeklampsi på väg att klarläggas. Fetalt hemoglobin kan vara nyckeln till prediktion, diagnostik och behandling
Sammanfattning
Gene and protein profiling studies have independently shown that free fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is formed and accumulated in the placenta in preeclampsia (PE). As a result of a predominantly oxidative damage to the blood-placenta barrier, HbF leaks over to the maternal blood circulation. Already in the first trimester elevated levels can be measured and later in pregnancy the levels correlate with the blood pressure in women with PE. Free HbF may provide both a predictive and a diagnostic clinical bio-marker. Our ex vivo data show that the endogenous heme-scavenger protein, alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M), can prevent Hb-induced damage to the placenta and even restore the blood-placental barrier. A1M has great potential as a future pharmacological treatment for PE.