Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33497931›Full record

ArticlePlacenta2021

Increased placental expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the receptor of SARS-CoV-2, associated with hypoxia in twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS).

Quanfu Mao, Sharon Chu, Svetlana Shapiro, Joseph M Bliss, Monique E De Paepe

Open access · greenAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Placenta, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Association ofViruses · 2024
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Observational
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. ACE2: a key modulator of the renin-angiotensin system and pregnancy.American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2021
    Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Quanfu MaoFrom the Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital; and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Sharon ChuFrom the Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital; and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Svetlana ShapiroFrom the Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital; and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Joseph M BlissFrom the Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital; and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Monique E De PaepeFrom the Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital; and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. Electronic address: mdepaepe@wihri.org.
Brown University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRecent reports suggest SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, may be transmittable from pregnant mother to placenta and fetus, albeit rarely. The efficacy of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 critically depends on the availability of its receptor, ACE2, in the placenta. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that placental ACE2 expression is oxygenation-dependent by studying the expression of ACE2 and associated cell entry regulators in the monochorionic twin anemia-polycythemia (TAPS) placenta, a model of discordant placental oxygenation.

methodsWe performed a retrospective comparative immunohistochemical, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis of ACE2, TMPRSS2 and Cathepsin B expression in anemic and polycythemic territories of TAPS placentas (N = 14).

resultsACE2 protein levels were significantly higher in the anemic twin territories than in the corresponding polycythemic territories, associated with upregulation of the key ACE2-related cell entry regulators, TMPRSS2 and Cathepsin B, immunolocalized to villous trophoblastic and stromal cells. Cellular colocalization of ACE2 and TMPRSS2, suggestive of functionality of this cell entry axis, was demonstrated by double immunofluorescence studies. DISCUSSION: Placental hypoxia is associated with upregulation of ACE2 expression, concomitant with increased expression of its key cell entry proteases. ACE2-regulated placental functions, both infection- and non-infection related, may be highly oxygenation-dependent.

Indexed as

Pregnancy, TwinAdultAnemiaAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2Case-Control StudiesCohort StudiesDiseases in TwinsFemaleFetal DiseasesHumansHypoxiaImmunohistochemistryInfant, NewbornMalePlacentaPolycythemiaACE2 protein, humanAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2Serine EndopeptidasesTMPRSS2 protein, humanCoronavirusHypoxiaMonochorionic

Identifiers

PMID33497931
PMCPMC7833196
OpenAlexW3121108998

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.