Activating protein-1 family of transcription factors in the human placenta complicated by preeclampsia with and without fetal growth restriction

Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression pattern of AP-1 family proteins in normal human placenta. a, d, g, l, o, p, q, r: 9th week of gestation. b, e, j, m: 16th week of gestation. c, f, i, n, s: 39th week of gestation. Negative control (39th week of gestation): t. p-c-jun is predominantly expressed in the extravillous cytotrophoblastic cells (a, b, c). Jun D expression decreases in the villous trophoblast from first trimester to third trimester of gestation (d, e, f). Jun D is expressed in extravillous cytotrophoblastic cells (g, h, i). c-fos is positive in the extravillous trophoblast (l, n) and in the villous trophoblast as well as in the fetal vessels (m). Fos B shows an evident immunostaining in extravillous cytotrophoblastic cells of cell columns as well as in the villous trophoblast (o). Villous cytotrophoblastic cells are positive for Fra-1 while the syncytiotrophoblast is mainly negative (p). Fra-1 is expressed in extravillous cytotrophoblastic cells of cell column (q). Fra-2 shows immunopositive reaction in the fetal vessel walls (r, s).

Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression pattern of AP-1 family proteins in PE and PE-FGR placentas. a, c, e, g: PE; b, d, f, h: PE-FGR. i: negative control (PE) p-c-jun shows immunopositivity of extravillous cytotrophoblastic cells (a, b). p-c-jun shows few positive cells into the basal plate (*) in PE placentas (a) while PE-FGR placentas show many cells positive for p-c-jun (b). Jun D is moderately positive in PE (c) while it is negative in PE-FGR (d). c-fos is weakly expressed into the basal plate of PE placentas (e) and it is strongly positive in PE-FGR (f). Fra-2 is positive in the large fetal vessels in PE (g) as well as in PE-FGR (h) placentas.