Characterization of placental pathology in Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome due to alterations in the KCNQ1OT1:TSS-DMR region

Abstract

Introduction

Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) is an imprinting disorder characterized by fetal and placental overgrowth. BWS is most often caused by genetic and epigenetic alterations involving the KCNQ1OT1-TSS:DMR (IC2) imprinting control region which alters expression of CDKN1C (p57KIP2). Here we report a cohort of patients with BWS primarily due to defects at IC2 compared to a well matched, non-BWS cohort to establish the placental features associated with these BWS subtypes.

Methods

This is a retrospective case-control study. Our cohort of 28 patients with BWS were matched to a non-BWS cohort of 28 unaffected patients. The rate of clinical and pathological features in the BWS and non-BWS cohorts were compared. Additionally, the associations between loss of p57KIP2 staining in the BWS cohort, placental pathology, and clinical outcomes were analyzed.

Results

We identified key pathological features in the placenta associated with BWS including placentomegaly, umbilical cord edema, abnormal chorionic vascular pattern, macroscopic cysts, stem villous stromal expansion, and abnormal extravillous trophoblast (EVT) morphology. We found that placental overgrowth in BWS is disproportionate to fetal overgrowth. We also identified associations between abnormal EVT morphology, loss of p57KIP2 staining, and rates of prematurity in patients with BWS.

Discussion

Novel features associated with BWS identified in this work can be used to inform the diagnosis of BWS when examining the placenta. Additionally, by establishing associations between adverse pregnancy outcomes and abnormal EVT morphology, we identified a potential mechanism for the increased risk of prematurity in pregnancies complicated by BWS.