778: Excessive placental Toll-like receptor 7/8 signaling contributes to human and experimental preeclampsia

Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related disorder that complicates about 10% of pregnancies and leads to health risks for both mother and fetus. While the exact causes of PE remain elusive, recent studies suggest involvement of the immune system, specifically the innate components residing at the maternal-fetal interface that respond to danger signals. It is unknown whether the single stranded RNA receptors TLR7 and TLR8 in the placenta are involved in the development of PE. We hypothesized that placentas from women with PE have increased TLR7, TLR8, and NFkB (a mediator of inflammation) activation and that stimulation of TLR7/8 would cause inflammation in human cytotrophoblast (CTB) cells and PE in mice.