Association between cytokine profile and transcription factors produced by T cells subsets in early- and late- onset preeclampsia

• Grant number: 14/25124-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Acordo de Cooperação: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Maria Terezinha Serrão Peraçoli
• Grantee: Vanessa Rocha Ribeiro Vasques
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) is an obstetric disease, affecting between 3% and 8% of pregnancies and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality both maternal as fetal. It is a systemic disease characterized by multiple alterations in the maternal organism and clinically identified by hypertension and proteinuria that are manifested in the second half of gestation. Studies suggest that the PE is a state of immunological tolerance maladaptation, characterized by abnormal activation of the innate and adaptive immune system. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are one population of T cells responsible for the maintenance of tolerance and control the inflammation while Th17 cells mediate different types of inflammatory responses. In PE, the occurrence of systemic inflammatory response appears to be due to a deficiency in the control of effector Treg cells. Therefore, the balance between Treg and Th17 cells may be critical for tolerance to the fetus and to prevent PE. This project aims to characterize the T cell subsets (Th1, Th2, Treg and Th17) and the cytokine profile produced by these cells, in pregnant women with preeclampsia, classified in early-onset PE and late-onset PE. Sixty pregnant women will be studied, 20 normotensive and 40 women with PE, matched by gestational age. Pregnant women with PE will be classified according to the onset of clinical manifestations in early PE (< 34 weeks of gestation; n = 20) and late PE (e 34 weeks of gestation; n = 20). Mononuclear cells from peripheral blood obtained from normotensive pregnant women and women with early- or late-onset PE will be evaluate for production of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the expression of transcription factors involved in the characterization of T cell subsets. The cytokine profile Th1 (IFN-³ and TNF-±), Th2 (IL-4), Treg (IL-10 and TGF-²1) and Th17 (IL-17 and IL-22) will be determined in plasma of pregnant women by ELISA, and the expression of intracytoplasmic transcription factors that characterize the Th1 cells (T-bet), Th2 (GATA3), Th17 (RORC) and Treg (FOXP3) will be evaluate by flow cytometry, using specific monoclonal antibodies labeled with fluorochromes. The gene expression of these transcription factors will be determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) immediately after blood collection to assess the endogenous expression of these different subpopulations of T cells. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RIBEIRO, VANESSA R.; ROMAO-VEIGA, MARIANA; ROMAGNOLI, GRAZIELA G.; MATIAS, MARIANA L.; NUNES, PRISCILA R.; BORGES, VERA THEREZINHA M.; PERACOLI, JOSE C.; PERACOLI, MARIA TEREZINHA S.. Association between cytokine profile and transcription factors produced by T-cell subsets in early- and late-onset pre-eclampsia. IMMUNOLOGY, v. 152, n. 1, p. 163-173, SEP 2017. (12/24697-8, 14/25124-7)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

VASQUES, Vanessa Rocha Ribeiro. Association between cytokine profile and transcription factors produced by T cells subsets in early- and late- onset preeclampsia. 2017. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina. Botucatu Botucatu.