International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Hypoxia-Induced Alpha-Globin Expression in Syncytiotrophoblasts Mimics the Pattern Observed in Preeclamptic Placentas Zahra Masoumi 1,* , Lena Erlandsson 1, Eva Hansson 1, Mattias Magnusson 2, Eva Mezey 3 and Stefan R. Hansson 1,4 1 Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lund University, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden;
[email protected] (L.E.);
[email protected] (E.H.);
[email protected] (S.R.H.) 2 Department of Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy, Lund University, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden;
[email protected] 3 Adult Stem Cell Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
[email protected] 4 Skåne University Hospital, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy disorder associated with placental dysfunction and elevated fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Early in pregnancy the placenta harbors hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and is an extramedullary source of erythropoiesis. However, globin ex- pression is not unique to erythroid cells and can be triggered by hypoxia. To investigate the role of the placenta in increasing globin levels previously reported in PE, flow cytometry, histological and Citation: Masoumi, Z.; Erlandsson, immunostaining and in situ analyses were used on placenta samples and ex vivo explant cultures. L.; Hansson, E.; Magnusson, M.; Our results indicated that in PE pregnancies, placental HSPC homing and erythropoiesis were not Mezey, E.; Hansson, S.R. affected. Non-erythroid alpha-globin mRNA and protein, but not gamma-globin, were detected in Hypoxia-Induced Alpha-Globin Expression in Syncytiotrophoblasts syncytiotrophoblasts and stroma of PE placenta samples.