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The role of galectins in obstetrics with particular emphasis on premature preterm rupture of membranes
, 1, 1, 1
Affiliations- Division of Perinatology and Women's Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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Abstract
Premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) affects about 4% of pregnancies and remains the main cause of preterm delivery (PTD). We currently lack a method for screening patients at high risk of pPROM as well as causal treatment for this yet not fully understood pathology of pregnancy. Promising, potential markers are proteins from a family of lectins-galectins. To date, 13 subtypes have been identified in humans. Particular galectins inhibit the mother’s immune response to the fetus, thus enabling the maintenance of pregnancy and delivering at term. So far, the role of some galectins has been proven in relation to early pregnancy complications, hypertension and preeclampsia, fetal growth disturbances (including fetuses small for gestational age, fetal growth restriction and macrosomia) and even in physiological processes which occur during healthy pregnancy. In reference to pPROM galectins seem to be linked to pathomechanisms leading to weakening of the structure of membranes and in result their rupture. Examination of galectins appears to be crucial for understanding certain pathologies of pregnancy and gives hope for the effective identification of risk groups and future causal treatment.
Abstract
Premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) affects about 4% of pregnancies and remains the main cause of preterm delivery (PTD). We currently lack a method for screening patients at high risk of pPROM as well as causal treatment for this yet not fully understood pathology of pregnancy. Promising, potential markers are proteins from a family of lectins-galectins. To date, 13 subtypes have been identified in humans. Particular galectins inhibit the mother’s immune response to the fetus, thus enabling the maintenance of pregnancy and delivering at term. So far, the role of some galectins has been proven in relation to early pregnancy complications, hypertension and preeclampsia, fetal growth disturbances (including fetuses small for gestational age, fetal growth restriction and macrosomia) and even in physiological processes which occur during healthy pregnancy. In reference to pPROM galectins seem to be linked to pathomechanisms leading to weakening of the structure of membranes and in result their rupture. Examination of galectins appears to be crucial for understanding certain pathologies of pregnancy and gives hope for the effective identification of risk groups and future causal treatment.
Keywords
pPROM; galectins; preeclampsia; FGR; SGA
About this articleTitle
The role of galectins in obstetrics with particular emphasis on premature preterm rupture of membranes
Journal
Issue
Article type
Review paper
Pages
731-734
Published online
2021-09-24
Page views
6747
Article views/downloads
785
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
Ginekol Pol 2021;92(10):731-734.
Keywords
pPROM
galectins
preeclampsia
FGR
SGA
Authors
Dorota G. Kolanowska
Aleksy Swietlicki
Krzysztof Drews
Agnieszka Seremak-Mrozikiewicz
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