Variable effect of maternal oral glucose load on circulating cell-free placental mRNAs.

BACKGROUND

It is not known whether fasting affects levels of circulating placenta-specific transcripts.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether a glucose load affects circulating placenta-specific transcripts.

METHOD: RNA was extracted from paired blood samples (fasting and 1-h post 75 g oral glucose) from 22 women. Placenta-specific genes were measured by RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

There was no change in ADM, CSH1, PAPPA2, PSG1 or TAC3 expression between fasting and post-glucose states. However, HTRA1 decreased after glucose load.

CONCLUSION

Maternal fasting state does not influence expression of the majority of placenta-specific genes but may need to be accounted for when validating biomarkers of placental disease.