Homeobox A1 Expression in Diabetic Pregnancy: Immunohistochemical and Computational Perspectives

Authors : Ayşenur Sevinç Akdeniz, Gül Ebru Aydeniz Acar, Zeynep Türe, Ayşegül Aşır, Ozan Akdeniz, Ayfer Aktaş, Fırat Aşır, Tuğcan Korak, Elif Ağaçayak

Pages : 265-271

Doi:10.35440/hutfd.1639075

View : 35 | Download : 69

Publication Date : 2025-06-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Background: This study aimed to evaluate the expression of Homeobox A Cluster 1 (HOXA1) protein in placentas from patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using immunohistochemical tech-niques and to investigate the role of HOXA1 in GDM-associated biological mechanisms through compu-tational analyses. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 participants, including 40 healthy pregnant women and 40 wom-en diagnosed with GDM, were enrolled. Placental tissues were examined histologically using hematoxy-lin-eosin and HOXA1 immunostaining. Additionally, HOXA1 and GDM-related proteins were retrieved from the STRING database and analyzed using Cytoscape software to identify shared interaction net-works, determine node centrality (degree, closeness, betweenness), and perform Gene Ontology (GO) molecular function analyses. Results: Histopathological analysis revealed significant increases in villous degeneration, fibrin deposi-tion, hemorrhage, syncytial knot formation, and leukocyte infiltration in the GDM group. Immunohisto-chemical analysis demonstrated a marked upregulation of HOXA1 protein expression in the GDM group compared to controls. Computational analyses identified 15 shared proteins within the HOXA1 and GDM networks, with H3C12, H3-3B, H3C13, and ESR1 emerging as central regulatory proteins. GO analysis indicated that these proteins are primarily involved in chromatin organization, DNA binding, epigenetic regulation, and protein–protein interactions. Conclusions: GDM induces significant histopathological and molecular changes in placental tissues, associated with increased HOXA1 protein expression. HOXA1 may play a critical role in the molecular mechanisms underlying GDM-related placental dysfunction and could serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target.
Keywords : HOXA1, GESTASYONEL DİYABETES MELLİTUS, PLASENTA, TOPOLOJİK ANALİZ, BİYOİNFORMATİK

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