PP13 mRNA expression in the cellular component of maternal blood as a marker for preeclampsia

Objective: To assess the PP13 expression in the cellular component of blood in both preeclamptic patients and asymptomatic pregnant women during the early second trimester. Methods: In the case-control study, peripheral blood samples were obtained from pregnant women with preeclampsia (n = 24) and controls (n = 22). PP13 RNA expression was quantified in the cellular component of the blood by reverse transcription PCR assay. Next, as a cohort study of asymptomatic pregnant women at early gestation, cellular RNA from 41 cases who developed preeclampsia at later gestation and 123 cases of control were analysed, and the possibility of prediction of preeclampsia was assessed. Results: In symptomatic patients, PP13 level in preeclampsia was significantly lower than that in controls (p < 0.001). In the asymptomatic pregnant women, the PP13 level in preeclampsia was significantly lower than that in the controls (p = 0.008). A receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve yielded a detection rate of 24 and 31% at a false positive rate of 5 and 10% respectively. Conclusion: An alteration in the cellular PP13 RNA expression would affect the placental pathophysiological change. The cellular PP13 expression level could therefore potentially be one of the key markers to predict the clinical onset of preeclampsia.