Global placental gene expression profiling in the first and third trimesters of normal human pregnancy

The human placenta is a rapidly developing organ with a relatively short life span that performs multiple functions until birth. Investigations into molecular mechanisms that control placental plasticity during its maturation might be useful in understanding patho-physiology of pregnancy-specific disorders. We hypothesized that molecular rearrangements and phenotypic adaptations that are necessary for normal placental development and maturation are reflected in its genotype. Our objective was to investigate global gene expression profile in the first and third trimester normal human placentas. 21 women were recruited with uncomplicated pregnancies that were delivered at term and 16 healthy women undergoing surgical abortion at 9-12 weeks gestation. We compared global placental gene expression profile by Human Genome Survey Microarray v.2.0 (Applied Biosystems). A total of 37 hybridisations were performed applying direct comparison design.