The impact of circulating exosomes derived from early and late onset pre-eclamptic pregnancies on inflammatory cytokine secretion by BeWo cells

Objectives: The pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with significant maternal and neonatal complications, an increased inflammatory response, placental hypoxia, and endothelial dysfunction, coupled with differential exosomal release profiles with immune modulation effects. Hence, this study evaluated the impact of circulating exosomes derived from early and late-onset pre-eclamptic pregnancies on inflammatory cytokine secretion by BeWo cells. Study Design: Exosomes were isolated from plasma obtained from early-onset pre-eclamptic (EOPE; n = 15), late-onset pre-eclamptic (LOPE; n = 15), and gestational age-matched normotensive pregnancies (N <= 33 weeks; n = 15 and N >= 34 weeks; n = 15). Human BeWo cells were treated with characterized and quantified exosomes (100 mu g/mL exosomal protein per pregnant group) for 24 h. The immunoassay method was used to measure the concentration of IL-8, IL-10, leptin, and HIF-alpha. Results: Exosome administration from women with EOPE and LOPE increased IL-8 and decreased IL-10 expression in BeWo cells. Conclusion: Cumulatively, our data demonstrated that circulating exosomes from the placenta and activated immune cells potentially influence inflammatory cytokine production in pre-eclamptic pregnancies. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.