Context
Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy disorder characterized by impaired invasiveness of the placenta in which matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP-9, play an important role.
Aim
To investigate the expression of MMP-9 in the placenta of patients with early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE) compared with controls.
Setting and design
The study included 50 pregnant women programmed for termination of pregnancy at a gestational age of 28–36 weeks. Women were divided into two groups: severe EOPE group ( = 30) and healthy pregnant control group ( = 20).
Patients and methods
A tissue was cut off from the center of the placenta, and the tissue was preserved for subsequent MMP-9 expression by real-time quantitative PCR.
Results
Neonatal and placental weights were significantly higher in the control group (P < 0.001). MMP-9 mRNA was significantly higher in the placentae of the control group compared with that of the preeclampsia group ( < 0.001).
Conclusion
MMP-9 expression in the placenta was significantly downregulated in patients with EOPE compared with normal pregnant women, suggesting their important role in trophoblast invasion.