Increased levels of nectin-4 as a serological marker for pre-eclampsia

OBJECTIVES: Nectin-4 is a cell adhesion molecule with vital functions at adherens and tight junctions. Cumulative evidence now indicates that the NECTIN4 gene is overexpressed in a variety of cancers, and that the nectin-4 protein is both a disease marker and therapeutic target in a subset of these cancers. We previously demonstrated that NECTIN4 is overexpressed in placenta during pre-eclamptic pregnancy, which is one of the most serious obstetric disorders. METHODS: Nectin-4 protein levels were measured in maternal sera from pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and its related disorder, unexplained fetal growth retardation. RESULTS: Maternal serum concentrations of nectin-4 were significantly elevated in pre-eclamptic women compared with those with an uncomplicated normotensive pregnancy. However, no increase was observed in pregnancies with unexplained fetal growth retardation. Serum nectin-4 levels were higher in cases with early-onset pre-eclampsia that generally showed more severe clinical symptoms, but levels were not correlated to other clinical indicators of disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: Nectin-4 is a potential new diagnostic and predictive biomarker for severe pre-eclampsia.