The role of heat shock proteins in placental ischemic disease: A narrative review of the current literature.

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, and fetal growth restriction (FGR) are collectively referred to as placental ischemic disease (PID). Heat shock proteins (HSPs), originally considered as a response to the heat shock, have a central role in regulating the cellular functions by quality controlling the newly synthesized proteins. The aim of the present review is to investigate the expression of the HSPs in PID and their potential role as biomarkers, based on the available data in the literature. A considerable amount of research has been conducted in order to determine the significance of HSPs in placental pathology and insufficiency, using both immunochemistry and circulating mRNA approaches. HSPs seem to be promising biomarkers that could be used for screening and monitoring the cellular stress of the placenta and its dysfunction. Yet, in order to be able to reach more solid evidence and draw a safer conclusion regarding their utility in clinical practice there is still a long way to go and further well-designed greater scale studies are required.