The preeclampsia gene
Copper News
American scientists have discovered a gene for preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy, the victims of which annually become more than 60 thousand women and hundreds of thousands of newborns. The discovery may lead to the creation of a diagnostic test, as well as the emergence of new methods of treating the disease, the journal Nature reports.
Preeclampsia, which occurs in the second half of pregnancy, is one of the manifestations of late toxicosis of pregnant women. The causes of the disease, which develops in 5% of women, are unknown for sure, and the only effective method of its treatment is the stimulation of premature birth.
Scientists from the Boston Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center found out that the basis of preeclampsia may be a defect in the COMT gene encoding the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase. This enzyme is necessary for the production of the protein 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), which regulates the process of neoplasm of placental vessels. Normally, in the last three months of pregnancy, the concentration of this protein increases, but in patients with preeclampsia, its level remains low, studies have shown.
According to the head of the team of scientists Raghu Kalluri, with a genetically determined deficiency of protein 2-ME, pregnant mice had classic signs of preeclampsia: an increase in blood pressure, the appearance of protein in the urine and fetal hypoxia caused by a violation of the formation of placental vessels. The introduction of the missing protein led to the disappearance of most of the symptoms, Kalluri said.
In the future, scientists will have to confirm the role of the COMT gene in the development of preeclampsia through clinical studies. In case of a positive result, the development of effective medicines can be started, as well as a test for early detection of women predisposed to the disease.
Source: Treatment hope for killer pregnancy condition – New Scientist, 05/11/2008
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13.05.2008