HtrA4 may play a major role in inhibiting endothelial repair in pregnancy complication preeclampsia.

ABSTRACT: Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening complication of human pregnancy with no effective treatment other than premature delivery. It is hallmarked by systemic endothelial injury/dysfunction which is believed to be caused by abnormal levels/types of placenta-derived factors that are circulating in the maternal blood. Emerging evidence suggests that endothelial repair is also dysregulated in PE, as circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) critical for endothelial regeneration are reduced in number and functionality. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. HtrA4 is a placenta-specific protease that is secreted into the circulation and significantly elevated in early-onset PE. Here we investigated the impact of HtrA4 on endothelial proliferation and repair. We demonst

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6389976 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature