Are Placental Cell-Derived Exosomes a Predictive Biomarker of Preeclampsia?

Abstract

Placenta is endocrine organ that regulate biological function of several maternal tissues and fetal organs by specific mechanisms of cell-to-cell cooperation, which is realized via exosomes’ secretion. Exosomes delivery some molecules, i.e., active proteins, pro-coagulants, growth factors, lipids, enzymes, micro-RNAs to target cells and induce autocrine / paracrine effects on vasculature and trophoblast. Interestingly, circulating number of exosomes derived from placenta cells in healthy pregnancies increases in 50-100 fold times to healthy volunteers and they may be detected in several biological fluids across all gestation age starting with 6 weeks of gestation. Moreover, pregnancies at risk of preeclampsia exhibit extremely increased levels of total exosomes and placental cell-derived-exosomes in blood when compared with woman at risk free of preeclampsia. Taking into consideration this fact, measure of circulating number of placental cell-derived-exosomes could be an individual probe for personification of a risk of life-threatening event across pregnancy. The short communication is depicted the role of placental cell-derived-exosomes as biomarker of preeclampsia in asymptomatic pregnancies.