Effect of Maternal Iron Deficiency Anaemia on the Expression of Iron Transport Proteins in the Third Trimester Placenta.

BackgroundDuring pregnancy, iron is transferred from mother to fetus with placental iron transport proteins (Transferrin receptor, Divalent metal transporter/DMT1, ferroportin/FPN1 and Zyklopen). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of maternal iron deficiency anemia on placental iron transporters. Study Design: Two hundred pregnant women, in third trimester of pregnancy were divided into anemic (Hemoglobin/Hb < 11g/dl) and non-anemic groups (Hb ≥ 11 g/dl). After delivery, placental expression of iron transport proteins were studied by immunohistochemistry and by mRNA analysis. Results: Of the 200 subjects, 59% were anemic. All 3 placental proteins showed statistically significant increase in immunohistochemical expression, proportionate to the severity of maternal anemia. The mRNA expression of DMT-1 gene was only significantly elevated in placentas of anemic mothers. Conclusion: Although in our study mRNA expression of only the DMT-1 gene was significantly high, immunohistochemically however all the 3 proteins showed significantly higher expression in placentas of anemic mothers.