Syncytin-1 (gene ERVW-1) has been proposed as a marker of pre-eclampsia and malfunctions in placental development. Placenta is heterogeneous tissue, hence the method of biopsy can significantly affect the outcome of analyses. A total of 44 placentae were analyzed by taking 3-30 samples from each. Relative levels of ERVW-1 expression in the placental biopsies were characterized by RT-qPCR. Evaluation of ten biopsies from one placenta individually (not pooling them) is recommended due to the high variability of expression. No significant correlation was found between biopsy localization and level of ERVW-1 expression; therefore, random sampling is recommended. A long cut from the umbilical cord to the edge of the placenta is a convenient approach to placental sampling.
Keywords: ERVW-1; gene expression analysis; placenta; placental sampling; pre-eclampsia; syncytin-1.