Transcriptomic analysis of placenta affected by antiphospholipid antibodies: following the TRAIL of trophoblast death

Antiphospholipid antibodies, a maternal risk factor for preeclampsia, increase shedding of necrotic trophoblast debris from the placenta, leading to endothelial dysfunction. Using Affymetrix HGU133 Plus 2 microarrays we found changes in the transcriptome of placental explants treated with antiphospholipid antibodies, including mRNAs BCL2L1, MCL1, PDCD2L, FASLG, SEMA6A, PRKCE and TRAIL that are involved in the regulation of apoptosis. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry confirmed a reduction in TRAIL expression in response to antiphospholipid antibodies. These results may help to understand how antiphospholipid antibodies affect trophoblast cell death and how the antibodies could contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.