Elsevier

Placenta

Volume 22, Issue 1, January 2001, Pages 32-43
Placenta

Regular Article
Phenotype of the Endothelium in the Human Term Placenta

https://doi.org/10.1053/plac.2000.0579Get rights and content

Abstract

The placental endothelium contributes to regulating transplacental exchange and maintaining the immunological maternofetal barrier. We characterized the endothelial phenotype in human normal term placentae with a panel of antibodies to endothelial antigens using a standardized immunofluorescence method. Placental endothelium strongly expressed vWF, PAL-E, H-antigen, thrombomodulin, PECAM-1, CD34, CD36, ICAM-1, CD44, thy-1, A10/33-1, VE-cadherin, caveolin-1 and HLA-G, whereas occludin, claudin-1, eNOS, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), ICAM-2, endoglin and integrin-αθβ3were weakly expressed. PGI2synthase, tissue factor, E-selectin and VCAM-1 were not detected. Some antigens were heterogenously expressed along the vascular tree or within individual villi. Expression of ACE, eNOS, vWF, P-selectin, E-selectin, integrin αvβ3and endoglin was stronger in the maternal decidual vessels, while PECAM-1, CD44, thy-1 and caveolin-1 expression was stronger in fetal vessels. Some endothelial markers were present in trophoblasts and stroma. Endothelial proliferation was apparent in mature intermediate and terminal villi. There was limited inflammatory response to TNFα in explants, characterized by upregulation of vWF, P-selectin, PECAM-1 and CD44, downregulation of thrombomodulin, but no increase in ICAM-1 expression, nor induction of E-selectin, VCAM-1 or tissue factor. These patterns of heterogeneity, proliferative activity and inflammatory activation may underlie the specific physiological roles of the placental endothelium.

References (76)

  • P Kaufmann et al.

    Extravillous trophoblast in the human placenta

    Trophoblast Research

    (1997)
  • G Kosanke et al.

    Maternal Aneamia results in increased proliferation in human placental villi

    Trophoblast Research

    (1998)
  • S Kumar et al.

    Heterogeneity in endothelial cells from large vessels and microvessels

    Differentiation

    (1987)
  • L Leach et al.

    Isolation of endothelial cells from human term placental villi using immunomagnetic beads

    Placenta

    (1994)
  • F Lyall et al.

    Expression of cell adhesion molecules in placentae from pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation

    Placenta

    (1995)
  • L Myatt et al.

    Immunohistochemical localization of nitric oxide synthase in the human placenta

    Placenta

    (1993)
  • AM Poisner

    The human placental renin-angiotensin system

    Front Neuroendocrinol

    (1998)
  • NE Simister et al.

    Human placental Fc receptors and the transmission of antibodies from mother to fetus

    J Reprod Immunol

    (1997)
  • A Steinborn et al.

    Labour-associated expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in placental endothelial cells indicates participation of immunological processes in parturition

    Placenta

    (1999)
  • JM Wang et al.

    A monoclonal antibody detects heterogeneity in vascular endothelium of tumours and normal tissues

    Int J Cancer

    (1993)
  • JR Westphal et al.

    A new 180-kDa dermal endothelial cell activation antigen: in vitro and in situ characteristics

    J Invest Dermatol

    (1993)
  • B Wetzka et al.

    Expression of prostacyclin and thromboxane synthases in placenta and placental bed after pre-eclamptic pregnancies

    Placenta

    (1996)
  • WC Aird et al.

    Vascular bed-specific expression of an endothelial cell gene is programmed by the tissue microenvironment

    J Cell Biol

    (1997)
  • SM Albelda

    Endothelial and epithelial cell adhesion molecules

    Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol

    (1991)
  • R Austgulen et al.

    Expression of receptors for tumor necrosis factor in human placenta at term

    Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand

    (1992)
  • B Barleon et al.

    Differential expression of the two VEGF receptors flt and KDR in placenta and vascular endothelial cells

    J Cell Biochem

    (1994)
  • K Benirschke et al.

    Pathology of the Human Placenta

    (1995)
  • NA Bright et al.

    Ontogeny and distribution of Fc gamma receptors in the human placenta. Transport or immune surveillance?

    J Anat

    (1994)
  • PC Brooks et al.

    Requirement of vascular integrin alpha v beta 3 for angiogenesis

    Science

    (1994)
  • J Bruggen et al.

    Detection of phenotypic differences on human malignant melanoma lines and their variant sublines with monoclonal antibodies

    Cancer Immunol Immunother

    (1983)
  • P Carmeliet et al.

    Role of tissue factor in embryonic blood vessel development

    Nature

    (1996)
  • KP Conrad et al.

    Placental cytokines and the pathogenesis of preeclampsia

    Am J Reprod Immunol

    (1997)
  • EM Conway et al.

    Tumor necrosis factor suppresses transcription of the thrombomodulin gene in endothelial cells

    Mol Cell Biol

    (1988)
  • O Dammann et al.

    Maternal intrauterine infection, cytokines, and brain damage in the preterm newborn

    Pediatr Res

    (1997)
  • DW Dawson et al.

    CD36 mediates the In vitro inhibitory effects of thrombospondin-1 on endothelial cells

    J Cell Biol

    (1997)
  • R Demir et al.

    Fetal vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in human placental villi

    Acta Anat Basel

    (1989)
  • J Denekamp

    Vascular endothelium as the vulnerable element in tumours

    Acta Radiol Oncol

    (1984)
  • JF Dye et al.

    The phenotype of cultured human placental microvascular endothelial cells

    J Anat

    (1996)
  • Cited by (0)

    f1

    To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Leukocyte Biology, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College School of Medicine, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK. Fax: +44 (0)171 594 3269; E-mail:[email protected]

    View full text