Placental proteome alterations in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Objective

To investigate differences in the placental proteomes of women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and those with a normal pregnancy.

Methods

Ten pregnant women diagnosed with ICP were recruited at the First People’s Hospital of Yuhang District from October 2011 to September 2012; 10 age-matched healthy pregnant women acted as controls. Total placental proteins were extracted and subjected to two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry to identify proteins that were differentially expressed in the two groups.

Results

In total, 37 protein spots with differentially expressed proteins were found. These comprised proteins involved in cytoskeleton activity, blood coagulation, and platelet activation as well as chaperones, heat shock proteins, RNA-binding and calcium-binding proteins, and various enzymes.

Conclusion

The placentas of women with ICP displayed significant proteome differences compared with women with a normal pregnancy. The results indicate that a variety of mechanisms and proteins may contribute to the development of ICP. Further verification and research are required to elucidate the exact roles of these proteins in ICP pathogenesis.