Expression of FcRn receptor in placental tissue and its relationship with IgG levels in term and preterm newborns

Abstract

Problem: IgG is the only antibody class, that is, actively transferred from the mother to the fetus across the placenta by an active, neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) mediated process during pregnancy, conferring passive immunity and protection against infections to the newborn during the first months of life. Preterm infants may not receive sufficient titers of protective antibodies, as most of them are transferred only after the 34th week of gestation. Because of the great importance of this process, we investigated in a clinical setting the placental transmission of IgG antibodies in term and preterm newborns.

Method of study: This work was conducted in 85 woman and their newborns, divided into four groups according to their clinical gestational age (≤37 weeks were considered as preterm). Blood samples were collected from the mothers and their newborns' umbilical cords to analyze total serum IgG concentrations, and a subgroup of 32 placentas was analyzed by immunohistochemistry to quantify the expression of the FcRn receptor.

Results: Total IgG levels in both mothers and neonates increased significantly through the third trimester of gestation. Regarding the newborns, in all groups, IgG levels exceeded their mother's values by a ~2.4%. A higher expression of FcRn was detected in placentas from newborns at week 36 of gestation onwards.

Conclusion: Our results obtained from clinical samples, were in line with previous descriptions in model systems and confirmed that the IgG transfer from maternal serum to the fetus is positively correlated with FcRn expression in placental tissue throughout gestation.

Keywords: FcRn; IgG; neonates; placenta; preterm.

Figure 1

Representative figure of the FcRn expression in human placental tissue (20× magnification) in term and pre-term newborns before and after ImageJ processing (A vs. B and C vs. D, respectively).

Figure 2

Newborn IgG levels and body weight increase during third trimester of gestation (n=90).

Figure 3

Relationship between mother’s (n=85) and neonate’s IgG levels (n=90).

Figure 4

FcRn expression in human placental tissue during the third trimester of gestation. Group II: 34–35 weeks (n=7); Group III: 36–37 weeks (n=5); Group IV: 38–41 weeks (n=18). a vs b: p=0.004. Group I is excluded from the figure because it consists of a single sample of placental tissue.

Figure 5

Relationship between percentage of the total area in the placental tissue with FcRn expression and the newborn’s IgG levels (n=31).