Serum-based, diagnostic, biological assay to predict pregnancy disorders

摘要

The invention provides serum-based, diagnostic, biological assays for predicting disorders of pregnancy resulting from poor trophoblast and/or placental ischemia, including preeclampsia. Serum samples from such subjects exhibit an ability to disrupt the architecture involving fetal trophoblasts and maternal endothelial cells in a three-dimensional, dual cell co-culture system provided herein, in contrast to normal pregnancy serum samples. Based on these distinctions, the assays are employed to predict pregnancy outcomes as early as first trimester.

主权项

1. An assay for assessing whether a pregnant female is at risk of developing a pregnancy disorder characterized by either poor trophoblast invasion or placental ischemia, or both, comprising (a) incubating a co-culture of human endothelial cells and human trophoblast cells in the presence of serum obtained from the pregnant female for a period of time sufficient to permit vacuolization, (b) after incubation, determining whether substantial vacuolization in the co-culture has occurred and (c) if less than said substantial vacuolization has occurred, the pregnant female is determined to have a positive finding for risk of developing said pregnancy disorder.