Obstet Gynecol Sci.  2015 Jul;58(4):261-267. 10.5468/ogs.2015.58.4.261.

Explore the dynamic alternation of gene PLAC4 mRNA expression levels in maternal plasma in second trimester for nonivasive detection of trisomy 21

• Yang L
• Sun HY
• Chen DZ
• Lu MD
• Tang Y
• Xiao JP

• KMID: 2314045
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5468/ogs.2015.58.4.261

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Noninvasive prenatal detection of trisomy 21 (T21) has been achieved by measuring the ratio of two alleles of a single nucleotide polymorphism in circulating placenta specific 4 (PLAC4) mRNA in maternal plasma with a few assays in recent years. Our research is to explore the variations of PLAC4 mRNA expression level in maternal plasma with normal pregnancies in second trimester, which can provide pregnant women deeper insights with suitable detection period for the non-invasive prenatal detection of T21.
METHODS
We measured a serial plasma PLAC4 mRNA concentrations weekly from the same 25 singleton normal pregnant women. We recruited maternal plasma samples from 45 singleton pregnant women, comprising of 25 euploid pregnancies (control group; range, 17 to 21 weeks) and 20 T21 pregnancies (T21 group; range, 19 to 24 weeks). With the application of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we achieved an insight of PLAC4 mRNA expression levels in maternal plasma during second trimester with euploid pregnancies.
RESULTS
Among the control group, the levels of PLAC4 mRNA expression in the gestation of 17 to 18 weeks were significantly less than those in the gestation of 18 to 21 weeks (P<0.05). The average PLAC4 mRNA concentration of the normal pregnant women was not higher than that of the T21 group (P>0.05).
CONCLUSION
The PLAC4 mRNA showed a higher level of expression in the gestation of 18 to 21 weeks with an euploid pregnancy of pregnant women. We also found that there was no significant difference in plasma PLAC4 mRNA concentration between the normal and the T21 pregnancies in second trimester.

Keyword

Noninvasive prenatal detection; PLAC4; Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; RNA concentration; Trisomy 21

MeSH Terms

Alleles
Down Syndrome*
Female
Humans
Placenta
Plasma*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Trimester, Second*
Pregnant Women
Reverse Transcription
RNA, Messenger*
RNA, Messenger

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Relative PLAC4 mRNA expression levels in maternal plasma of different gestational weeks. Graph bars represent the average ΔCt value of the three replicates. The significant differences in ΔCt value in control groups (with euploid pregnancies) between different gestational weeks were calculated using unpaired, two tailed student's test. Ct, threshold cycles. *P<0.05.

• 

  Fig. 2 Relative PLAC4 mRNA expression levels in maternal plasma between the control and trisomy 21 (T21) group. Graph bars represent the average ΔCt value of the three replicates. The significant differences in ΔCt value between the control group (with 25 euploid pregnancies) and the T21 group (with 20 T21 pregnancies) were calculated using unpaired, two tailed Student's test. Ct, threshold cycles. *P>0.05.

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