Cell biomarkers determination in sera of pregnant women with preeclampsia

• Grant number: 12/08477-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Maria Terezinha Serrão Peraçoli
• Grantee: Mariana Romão Veiga
• Supervisor: Steven S. Witkin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Cornell University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 10/12893-1 - ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXPRESSION OF TLR2 AND TLR4 RECEPTORS, NUCLEAR TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR NF-kB AND IL-10, IL-12 AND TNF-ALPHA PRODUCTION BY MONOCYTES OF PREGNANT WOMEN WITH PREECLAMPSIA., BP.MS

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific syndrome characterized by a systemic inflammatory response, more intense than that observed in normal pregnancy. The toll-like receptors (TLR) are directly involved in the inflammatory response of monocytes. These cells are endogenously activated, and secrete high levels of inflammatory cytokines and free radicals. Cellular components derived from proteins, polysaccharides and lipids present in plasma have been described as important modulators of inflammation. Soluble forms of these components such as TLR4, histones, visfatin and gelsolin can inhibit inflammatory cytokines production induced by LPS and other endogenous factors released by damaged host cells. This study aims to assess the levels of biomarkers such as soluble TLR4, hyaluronan, histone H2B, visfatin and gelsolin in plasma of normotensive and preeclamptic pregnant women. The concentration of these biomarkers will be determined in the plasma of these women by an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). (AU)