Journal of Glycobiology
Open Access

Tilini Gunatillake

Publications

• Review Article
  The Role of Placental Glycosaminoglycans in the Prevention of Pre-Eclampsia
  Author(s): Tilini Gunatillake, Amy Chui and Joanne M SaidTilini Gunatillake, Amy Chui and Joanne M Said
  
  Uncomplicated pregnancies represent a hypercoagulable state. However, placental thrombosis is rare in these pregnancies which suggest that thrombin generation must be tightly regulated. In contrast, pregnancy disorders such as pre-eclampsia (PE) demonstrate an exaggerated increase in pro-coagulant activity contributing to the thrombotic lesions observed in the uteroplacental circulation of these pregnancies. Therefore, the tight haemostatic regulation observed in uncomplicated pregnancies is disrupted in PE-affected pregnancies. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are abundantly expressed within the placenta. GAGs do not exist in isolation, but are predominately bound to proteins known as proteoglycans (PGs). PGs have important anticoagulant, antiinflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties. Placentae from pregnancies complicated by PE demonstrate a reduction in PG expression. This may be.. View More»
  DOI: 10.4172/2168-958X.1000105

  Abstract PDF

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