CARDIAC GENE-EXPRESSION OF GATA-4 TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR IN HUMAN TRISOMY-21 FETUSES WITH INCREASED NUCHAL TRANSLUCENCY

This study examines GATA-4 gene expression in cardiac tissue from fetu ses with trisomy 21 presenting with increased nuchal translucency thic kness at 10-14 weeks of gestation. mRNA was extracted from cardiac tis sue after termination of pregnancy at 10-18 weeks of gestation in ten trisomy 21 fetuses and 29 normal controls. Northern and slot blots wer e performed and densitometric analysis of slot blots was used to deter mine the steady-state levels of expression of GATA-4. GATA-4 transcrip t levels were also compared with ANP and BNP, which have previously be en measured in the same panel of samples. GATA-4 expression increased significantly with gestation but there was no significant difference b etween fetuses with trisomy 21 and controls. There was no significant association between GATA-4 expression and the steady-slate level of tr anscripts for the natriuretic peptides. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Lt d.