Maternal Serum Concentration of Angiogenic and antiangiogenic Factor. Relationship with Preeclampsia

MASKIN BERNARDO; BEROIZ GRACIELA; SOLARI LILIANA; LEVI LORENA; CASTRO-PARODI MAURICIO; DAMIANO ALICIA E

Los Cocos, Córdoba- Argentina

Simposio; III Latin-American Symposium on Maternal-Fetal Interaction and Placenta:Basic & Clinical Research; 2007

Placental Association of America

The cause of preeclampsia remains unclear. This study was undertaken to determine whether maternal serum concentration of the angiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) and its circulating antagonist, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinasa 1 (sFlt-1), which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PE, are altered in pregnancies that developed PE. Methods:We performed a prospective case-control study. Each woman with PE was matched to one normotensive control for gestational age. A total of 10 pairs were included. We included ten healthy women as controls. Serum samples of VEGF, PlGF and sFlt1 drawn at entry and were determined using ELISA assays. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied to the comparisons within the gestational-age intervals. Explants fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for immunohistochemical analysis. Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg): 163±16.3 mmHg; Diastolic blood pressure: 111±9.9 mmHg. There was not difference in gestational age between the pairs. Serum concentrations: (PE vs. mormotensive controls) VEGF dif: 8.2 (-10.7; 125.2), p = 0.65. PlGF dif: -177.2 (-276.5; -149.3) significantly lower levels in PE, p = 0.002. sFlt1 dif: 331.824.7 (24.7 ; 918.5) higher levels in PE, p = 0.045. VEGF protein expression and localization was similar in normal and PE placentas. Conclusions:PE was associated with significantly lower levels of PlGF and higher levels of sFlt-1. Further work is needed to determine the role of PlGF and sFtl?1 in the etiology of PE.