Correlation of VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP2 expression in placental villi among patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion

Abstract

Objective In this study, the expression and clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) in the placental villi of patients experiencing recurrent spontaneous abortion were investigated. Methods Fifty-one patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) and 50 control individuals were enrolled (between January 2022 and December 2023). The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP2 in the placental villi of all enrolled patients were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot techniques. Additionally, the correlation between VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP2 expression was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. Results The results revealed that the levels of VEGF mRNA and protein in the placental villi of patients with RSA were significantly lower than those in the control group, and this difference was statistically significant. Conversely, the mRNA and protein levels of HIF-1α and MMP2 were significantly higher in the RSA patient group than in the control group. Furthermore, the study revealed a negative correlation between the expression of VEGF and MMP2 in the placental villi of patients with RSA, and a positive correlation was observed between the expression of HIF-1α and MMP2. Conclusion The downregulated expression of VEGF and upregulated expression of HIF-1α and MMP2 in the placental villi of patients with RSA may contribute to the pathogenesis of RSA. However, further investigation is required to elucidate the specific molecular regulatory mechanisms.