Yuxi Ren,1,* Haining Bi,2,* Ji Zhang,1 Qi Yin,1 Xue Zhang,1 Xuemei Gong,1 Yaojiao Li,1 Jifang Shi1 

1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, 671000, People’s Republic of China; 2School of AI and Advanced Computing, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215400, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Jifang Shi, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, No. 32, Carlsberg Avenue, Dali, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, 671000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613708660567, Email shijifangsjf@126.com

Objective: Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy-specific disorder that poses significant risks to maternal and fetal health, with severe preeclampsia (SPE) being a particularly life-threatening complication. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects and clinical significance of irisin in pregnant women with severe preeclampsia (SPE). Irisin levels in the serum and placental tissues of healthy pregnant women and those with early- and late-onset SPE were measured and compared.
Methods: A total of 70 pregnant women treated at our hospital from January to November 2023 were selected for this study. The participants were divided into three groups: 20 women with early-onset severe preeclampsia (ES-PE group), 20 women with late-onset severe preeclampsia (LS-PE group), and 30 healthy pregnant women (control group). Fasting peripheral blood samples (5 mL) were collected from each participant, and placental tissues were obtained after delivery. Irisin levels in serum were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with a commercial kit, and irisin expression in placental tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) with a rabbit anti-irisin antibody. The modes of delivery were also recorded.
Results: The concentrations of irisin in both serum and placental tissues were significantly higher among pregnant women in the control group compared to the ES-PE and LS-PE groups. There was a significant difference between the control group and the ES-PE and LS-PE groups in the mode of delivery. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was identified between the serum irisin concentration and its differential expression in placental tissues, while there was a significant negative correlation between irisin levels in both serum and placental tissue and systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusion: Reduced serum and placental irisin levels in pregnant women with SPE were associated with the onset and progression of SPE and may serve as a potential biological marker for SPE screening.

Keywords: irisin, placental tissue, pregnant women, serum, severe preeclampsia