Expression of angiogenic and neurotrophic factors in the human amnion and choriodecidua

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to identify the novel or differential expression of growth or development associated genes in the human gestational membranes that might play roles in pregnancy or in term or preterm parturition.STUDY DESIGN: Complementary DNA arrays were probed with [alpha(33)P]dCTP-labeled-complementary DNA that was prepared from the RNA of reflected amnion and choriodecidua that represent term not-in-labor, term spontaneous labor, and preterm labor with and without chorioamnionitis (n = 4 per group). Differential expression (term not-in-labor vs term spontaneous labor or preterm labor with chorioamnionitis vs preterm labor without chorioamnionitis) was evaluated by Wilcoxon tests.RESULTS: All 16 amnion samples expressed angiogenic factors (endothelin-2 and -3, vascular endothelial growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor-B) and neurotrophic factors (ephrin-A2, ephrin receptors-A2, -B1, -B3, -B4, and -B5, neuropilin-2, p75/nerve growth factor receptor and semaphorin-F). In both amnion and choriodecidua, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and the angiopoietin receptor, Tie-2, were greater with term spontaneous labor than with term not-in-labor (P