Syncytin induced cell fusion and apoptosis associated with placental dysfunction in patients with preeclampsia and IUGR

Complications of pregnancy like preeclampsia (PE), HELLP-syndrome or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are associated with abnormal placentation. In early pregnancy cytotrophoblasts (CT) fuse and form multinuclear syncytiotrophoblasts (SCT). The envelope gene of the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-W, Syncytin is expressed in SCT and mediates CT fusion. Apoptosis is crucial to development and homeostasis of the placenta, but the mechanism of apoptosis in CT is unknown. The aims in this investigation were to define clinical parameters associated with PE, HELLP and IUGR and study the process of cell fusion…