Pre-eclampsia remains a mystery in terms of early diagnosis, with a number of potential markers being unreliable. New research on uterine arteries may provide opportunities for diagnosing this disease. These arteries have a key role in facilitating a successful pregnancy and so understanding their role in pregnancy immunology is a novel avenue to explore.

Dahn et al. analysed uterine artery endothelial cells from late-pregnant sheep (P-UAEC) for changes in chemokine and cytokine secretory and immunomodulatory properties at a single cell level. Using a combination of cell culture, spectral flow cytometry and cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing, the authors recorded distinct endothelial populations within the uterine arteries and a heterogeneous response to cytokine treatment.

This study furthers the idea of an immune basis for pre-eclampsia and suggests that, potentially, some people are more prone to severe presentations based on their own cellular populations and response to immune signalling, which may now mean new molecular targets for diagnosis are on the horizon.

Read the full article in Journal of Molecular Endocrinology https://doi.org/10.1530/JME-24-0086