An immunohistochemical study of cadherin 5 (VE-cadherin) in vascular endothelial cells in placentas with gestosis.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate vascular endothelial-cell functioning in placentas with gestosis, using the monoclonal antibody to cadherin 5. METHODS: The extra-cellular moiety of cadherin 5 was transfected into L-cells to enable us to examine their cell-adhesion activity. The expression of cadherin 5 was evaluated in human umbilical-vein endothelial cells and in placentas with gestosis by immunostaining using the anti-cadherin 5 antibody. A microspectrophotometric study also was conducted of the placentas with gestosis. RESULTS: We determined the total base sequence for cadherin 5 and found that it is homologous with a known cadherin but is a new, unique clone. Cadherin 5 has cell-adhesion activity and is expressed in endothelial cells at the cell-adhesion surface. The expression of cadherin 5 in endothelial cells took place in the placentas with gestosis, but to a lesser extent than in normal placental endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: The reduced expression of cadherin 5 in placentas with gestosis suggests that endothelial cell functioning is impaired in placentas with gestosis. Cadherin 5 in endothelial cells might influence placental functions and fetal development.

PMID: 10063232 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]