FSP1 and CoQ10 have the potential to serve as biomarkers for severe preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND

Severe preeclampsia is a condition that poses a threat to pregnant women and fetuses, which requires prompt treatment and intervention. The ferroapoptosis suppressor protein 1(FSP1)-ubiquinone10 (CoQ10)-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH) pathway, a recently identified pathway that inhibits ferroptosis, is parallel to the cystine/glutathione (GSH) /GPX4 pathway. However, its expression in pregnant women with severe preeclampsia has not yet been investigated.

METHODS

A total of 198 pregnant women were enrolled in the baseline characterization study, and we measure the levels of chemicals, proteins, and mRNAs associated with the FSP1/CoQ10/NADPH pathway in the placenta, umbilical arterial blood, and maternal blood of pregnant women with severe preeclampsia and normal pregnant women.

RESULTS

The results indicate that severe preeclampsia has more serious adverse pregnancy outcomes, and ferroptosis does occur in its placenta. In addition, FSP1 and CoQ10 showed a downward trend in the placenta of pregnant women with severe preeclampsia, and the utilization rate of NADPH was also reduced. This study also found that the expression levels of FSP1 and CoQ10 were downregulated in both maternal blood and umbilical artery blood.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on observations. results of this study, we suggest that FSP1 and CoQ10 can be used in the future as new biomarkers for monitoring the progression of severe preeclampsia, and that they may become new targets for the treatment of severe preeclampsia.