ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Neonatology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1611877
This article is part of the Research TopicPhysiology and Pathophysiology of PlacentaView all 8 articles
Expression and Clinical Significance of Klotho Protein in Serum, Umbilical Cord Blood, and Placenta of Pregnant Women with Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, Chongqing Municipality, China
- 2National Center for Child Health and Disease Clinical Research (NCRCCH), Hangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- 3Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- 4Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Children‘s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, Chongqing Municipality, China
- 5Nanning Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China
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Objectives: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) significantly affects neonatal development, but its pathogenesis is not fully understood. Klotho protein is involved in aging-related diseases, and its role in fetal growth is unclear. This study aims to explore Klotho's role in IUGR.Methods: A case-control study was conducted at Nanning Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from July 2023 to June 2024. Fifty-two neonates (gestational age ≥34 weeks and <42 weeks) were divided into the appropriate for gestational age (AGA) group (n=30) and the IUGR group (n=22).Venous and umbilical cord blood were collected to measure Klotho, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Placental tissues were examined for histopathology and immunohistochemistry.Results: The IUGR group showed placental morphological changes, including increased syncytial knots and inflammation. Klotho expression in placental tissue was significantly reduced (p<0.0001), while IGF-1 levels increased (p <0.001) and GH levels decreased (p <0.001). Soluble α-Klotho levels were lower in maternal venous blood (p <0.0001) and umbilical cord blood (p <0.01). GH and IGF-1 levels in maternal venous blood and umbilical cord blood were altered in IUGR cases.Conclusions: Reduced Klotho expression in IUGR cases, along with changes in GH and IGF-1, suggests disruptions in metabolic processes affecting fetal growth and development. These findings suggest a potential involvement of Klotho in placental changes and fetal development, warranting further mechanistic studies.
Keywords: Klotho, intrauterine growth restriction, Placenta, Growth Hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1
Received: 15 Apr 2025; Accepted: 17 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zeng, Lian, Shen and Shi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yuan Shi, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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