EXPRESSION OF ERM PROTEINS IN UMBILICAL CORDS OF PATIENTS WITH PREECLAMPSIA

Ece Öcal¹, Senem Alkan Akalın², Veysel Toprak³, Engin Deveci^{4, *}

¹Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Antalya Education and Research Hospital,Antalya - ²Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Private Medical Practice, Diyarbakir, Turkey - ³Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Eyyübiye Education and Research Hospital, Şanliurfa, Turkey - ⁴Deparment of Histology and Embryology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey

Objective: We investigated the immunohistochemical staining of ERM proteins expression in the umbilical cords of a pregnant women with preeclampsia. 

Methods: Umbilical cords of 15 normotensive and 15 preeclamptic placenta, a total of 30 placentas, were processed for routine histological tissue processing. Umbilical cords were dissected from placentas and fixed in %10 formaldehyde solution. Samples were embedded in paraffin blocks. Umbilical cords sections were cut from paraffin blocks and stained with ERM immunostaining.

Result: Porous membrane structures, some collagenized areas, dysfunctional, degenerative, and hyalinized areas, and apoptotic endothelial cell nuclei were observed in preeclamptic umbilical cords with thinning collagenous, vacuolar structures. Ezrin reaction was negative in normotensive groups; however it was increased in the preeclampsia group in muscle cells and in fibroblast cells. Radixin-positive reaction was observed in some endothelial cells, muscle cells, and fibroblast cells. In the preeclampsia group, negative expressions were observed in muscle cells. The expression was positive in the fibroblast cells. In the normotensive group, moesin expression was positive in some endothelial cells and in some fibroblast cells and negative in muscle cells. In the preeclampsia group, a significant moesin expression was observed in endothelial cells, fibroblast cells, and muscle cells towards the lumen.

Conclusion: ERM protein signals are an important protein in determining cellular degeneration, inflammation, and angiogenesis in umbilical cords of preeclamptic patients.