PLAC1 expression increases during trophoblast differentiation: evidence for regulatory interactions with the fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF-7) axis.

PLAC1 is a recently described, trophoblast-specific gene that localizes to a region of the X-chromosome important in placental development. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that PLAC1 polypeptide localizes to the differentiated syncytiotrophoblast throughout gestation (8-41 weeks) as well as a small population of villous cytotrophoblasts. Consistent with these observations, quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that PLAC1 mRNA increases more than 300-fold during cytotrophoblast differentiation in culture to form syncytiotrophoblasts.

Congenital tuberculosis requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

We describe a 6-week-old infant with congenital tuberculosis with cardiorespiratory failure. She was successfully treated with ECMO initiated after worsening hypoxemia despite mechanical ventilation.

PLAC1, a trophoblast-specific gene, is expressed throughout pregnancy in the human placenta and modulated by keratinocyte growth factor.

Plac1, a placenta-specific gene, is expressed exclusively by cells of trophoblastic lineage in the mouse, and maps to a region of the X chromosome known to be important in placental growth. These studies were undertaken to define the cellular location of the mRNA for the human orthologue, PLAC1, within the human placenta, and to examine its expression throughout gestation. By Northern analysis, PLAC1 mRNA was detected in term human placenta, migrating as a single 1.

Insulin and insulin-like growth factors in human development: implications for the perinatal period.

The physiologic and cellular mechanisms regulating fetal growth cannot be adequately described by regulatory mechanisms important postnatally. This review summarizes recent advances in clinical medicine, cell and molecular biology, and physiology showing the central and essential roles of insulin and the insulin-like growth factor family of peptides in regulating fetal growth. Moreover, the importance of insulin-like growth factors in tissue-specific growth regulation during critical periods of development suggest that these mechanisms may also be relevant to the pathogenesis of tissue injury in the preterm infant, and may offer therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing morbidity associated with prematurity.