# Placental Extracellular Vesicles in Preeclampsia: Molecular Cargo, Pathophysiological Roles, and Emerging Diagnostic and Therapeutic Frontiers > Hardjo M. URL kanonis: https://discover.unhas.ac.id/publications/pub_scopus_105048459898 Jurnal / Konferensi: American Journal of Reproductive Immunology Tahun terbit: 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aji.70315 ISSN: 10467408 Kuartil SJR: Q2 Citations: 0 ## Authors - Hardjo M. ## Abstract Preeclampsia (PE) affects 2%-8% of pregnancies globally and remains a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. A central clinical gap is the absence of analytically and clinically validated non-invasive biomarkers capable of predicting PE before symptom onset. Current clinical tools, including angiogenic markers (sFlt-1/PlGF ratio) and first-trimester risk algorithms, have limitations that underscore the need for complementary approaches. Placental extracellular vesicles (EVs)-small particles released predominantly by syncytiotrophoblast cells-are implicated across PE pathophysiology. Circulating total small EV (sEV) concentrations, typically 30-150 nm and isolated by differential centrifugation or size-exclusion chromatography, are measurably elevated in maternal circulation from the first trimester in women who develop PE; this operational, size- and isolation-based definition does not by itself establish placental origin, which requires placental-attribution markers (e.g., PLAP, syncytins) discussed in Section 2. Their molecular cargo, encompassing microRNAs (miR-210, miR-15a-5p, miR-520a-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-93-5p), anti-angiogenic proteins (sFlt-1, sEng), and hypoxia markers (HIF-1α), reflects placental pathophysiology. Recent evidence has expanded the known pathophysiological reach of placental EVs: beyond endothelial dysfunction and angiogenic imbalance, they are now implicated in blood-brain barrier disruption via claudin-5 (CLDN5) downregulation, supporting a plausible mechanistic link to neurological complications of PE. Proteomic profiling of EV fractions identifies molecularly distinct PE subtypes, enabling investigational subtype discrimination beyond current clinical criteria. Recent in vivo proof-of-concept evidence in a rat model demonstrates that amniotic fluid-derived EV-associated miR-146a-5p ameliorates PE phenotypes, opening a preclinical therapeutic avenue. This narrative review synthesises evidence from a structured PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus search covering 2017-March 2025 on placental EV biogenesis, cargo heterogeneity, immune modulation, organ-specific pathological consequences, and translational potential as first-trimester liquid biopsy candidates. Methodological standardization challenges and future research priorities are discussed. ## Keywords - Syncytiotrophoblast - Preeclampsia - Extracellular vesicles - Pathophysiology - Microvesicles - Bioinformatics - Placenta - Biology - Medicine - Amniotic fluid - Hypoxia (environmental) - Pathological - Cell biology - Immune system - Endothelial dysfunction - Pregnancy - Trophoblast - Exosome - Fetal membrane - Gestational hypertension - Extracellular - Immunology - microRNA - Cancer research - Proband - Phenotype - Angiogenesis - Biomarker - Diagnostic biomarker --- Sumber: Discover Unhas — RIMS Universitas Hasanuddin. Saat mengutip, gunakan DOI bila tersedia atau URL kanonis di atas.