The risk of complications during pregnancy is due to many factors. According to statistical estimates, 10-20% of pregnancies end in termination during the first trimester.
Intrauterine growth retardation may result from infection of the mother with viral and parasitic agents, such as toxoplasmosis, rubella viruses, cytomegalovirus, herpes viruses or Zika virus, as well as the results of genetic or autoimmune pathologies.
Find out in the article on estet-portal.com how interferon effects and the risk of complications during pregnancy are related
Research on the causes of complications during pregnancy
A team of researchers led by researchers from the Department of Virology and Immunology at the Institut Pasteur, France, has described a new cellular mechanism that slows down placental development and potentially causes serious complications during pregnancy.
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This mechanism is directly related to the production of interferon, which, as is known, is a key factor in inflammatory reactions and is synthesized in the reactions of the infectious-inflammatory response, especially during viral infection.
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Influence of interferon on the development of the placenta
Elevation of type I interferon during pregnancy has been associated with intrauterine fetal growth retardation, risk of preterm birth, and fetal death. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes remained insufficiently understood.
It is known that the most important stage in the development of the placenta is the fusion of trophoblast cells into a multinucleated layer of syncytiotrophoblast. In turn, the fusion process mediated by the activity of syncytins − glycoproteins that are expressed by trophoblast cells and induce differentiation and fusion of its cells with the formation of syncytium.
Violation of the formation of syncytiotrophoblast during pregnancy can be the basis for the development of placental insufficiency and hinder the development of the fetus. Such anomalies can accompany conditions that are characterized by impaired intrauterine development of the fetus, the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus in the mother, as well as genetic disorders in the fetus, for example, trisomy of 21 pairs of chromosomes.
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It is well known that interferon is synthesized by immune cells against the background of an infectious process in the body. Elevated levels of interferon can be observed in inflammatory conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as in infectious diseases.
In the presented study, scientists have demonstrated the importance of the role of interferon in the development of placental abnormalities, in particular in blocking the formation of syncytiotrophoblast.
Thus, it has been proven that interferon promotes the synthesis of proteins known as interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs), which block the activity of syncytin during pregnancy. The physiological functions of the mentioned transmembrane proteins are to create obstacles for the fusion of viral components with the cell membrane, which prevents the penetration and further intracellular reproduction of viruses.
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In the course of the study, experimental models and human cells were used. This made it possible to demonstrate that the considered aspect of the functional activity of interferon-induced transmembrane proteins can have a negative effect if these proteins are synthesized during a critical period of pregnancy, namely, during the formation of the placenta.
Blocking the effects of interferon as a method of preventing complications during pregnancy
In the course of studying the effects of interferon during pregnancy, researchers came to the conclusion that clarifying the role of interferon-induced transmembrane proteins allows us to expand our understanding of the mechanisms of placental formation, as well as the prerequisites for violations of these important processes against the background of infection of the mother's body or the development of diseases of another etiology.
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The authors see the prospect of further research in the study of the possible role of transmembrane proteins in the development of other pathologies of the placenta of unclear etiology, including early spontaneous abortions and cases of preeclampsia during pregnancy. In addition, the researchers noted that, in the long term, blocking the effects of interferon-induced transmembrane proteins could potentially form the basis of a new therapeutic strategy to prevent interferon-related developmental and functional disorders of the placenta.
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