Homeobox Genes are Differentially Expressed in Macrovascular Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells and Microvascular Placental Endothelial Cells

Abstract

Angiogenesis is fundamental to normal placental development. Aberrant angiogenesis within the placental terminal villi is a characteristic of significant placental pathologies and includes structural and vascular abnormalities as well as altered endothelial cell function, which substantially impacts on maternal-fetal exchange. Homeobox gene transcription factors regulate vascular development in embryonic and adult tissues, but their role in the placental microvasculature is not well known. In this study, we isolated and enriched human placental microvascular endothelial cells (PLEC) by a perfusion-based method and compared homeobox gene expression between PLEC and macrovascular human umbilic..