Direct blood fluorescence signal intensity of neutrophils (NEU-SFL): A marker of NETosis in preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with high maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. Several studies have shown that plasma nucleosomes, cell-free DNAs and citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) increased during pregnancy, and that their levels were even higher in PE [1]. In vitro, some recombinant histones, particularly histone H3, affected migration, invasion and induced apoptosis of extravillous trophoblasts [2]. Nucleosomes are key components of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) which are released by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) activation, a process called NETosis.