Prematurity is related to high placental cortisol in preeclampsia

Aufdenblatten, M; Baumann, M; Raio, L; Dick, B; Frey, BM; Schneider, H; Surbek, D; Hocher, B; Mohaupt, MG (2009). Prematurity is related to high placental cortisol in preeclampsia. Pediatric research, 65(2), pp. 198-202. New York, N.Y.: Nature Publishing Group 10.1203/PDR.0b013e31818d6c24

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Fetal growth is compromised in animal models with high cortisol availability. In healthy pregnancies, the fetus is protected from high circulating cortisol levels by the placental 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11beta-HSD2), which is reduced in preeclampsia. We hypothesized increased placental cortisol availability in preeclampsia as missing link to fetal growth restriction and prematurity. Placental tissue was obtained from 39 pregnant women dichotomized normotensive (n = 16) or preeclamptic (n = 23). Placental steroid hormone metabolites were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Apparent 11beta-HSD2 enzyme activity was calculated as substrate to product ratio. Estradiol and pregnandiol positively correlated with gestational age. Cortisol was virtually absent in 93.8% of controls, yet detectable in 79.3% of preeclamptic samples resulting in an odds ratio (OR) of 0.019 (95% CI 0.002-0.185) for the presence of placental cortisol. Apparent 11beta-HSD2 activity directly correlated with birth weight (R2 = 0.16; p < 0.02) and gestational age (R2 = 0.11; p < 0.04) ensuing a reduced risk of premature delivery (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.02-0.58). We conclude that normotensive pregnancies are characterized by an almost completely inactivated placental cortisol. In line with our hypothesis, reduced 11beta-HSD2 activity in preeclampsia is unable to abolish placental cortisol, a finding clearly associated with prematurity and low birth weight.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Gynaecology 04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Dermatology, Urology, Rheumatology, Nephrology, Osteoporosis (DURN) > Clinic of Nephrology and Hypertension
UniBE Contributor:	Baumann, Marc, Raio, Luigi, Dick, Bernhard, Frey, Brigitte, Schneider, Henning, Surbek, Daniel, Mohaupt, Markus
ISSN:	0031-3998
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Language:	English
Submitter:	Markus Georg Mohaupt
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:06
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:20
Publisher DOI:	10.1203/PDR.0b013e31818d6c24
PubMed ID:	19047954
Web of Science ID:	000262766100013
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/28587 (FactScience: 121905)