Increased sFlt-1 to PlGF Ratio in Women Who Subsequently Develop Preeclampsia

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placenta growth factor (PlGF) are altered during the second trimester in the plasma of women who subsequently develop preeclampsia. We performed a case-control study to compare the levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF in the preeclamptic (n=46) and normal pregnant women (n=100). The maternal plasma levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sFlt-1 levels were significantly higher in the preeclamptic women than in normal controls (p<0.001), while the PlGF levels were significantly lower (p<0.001). In normal controls, sFlt-1 levels were positively correlated (r=0.27, p=0.008), whereas, in the preeclamptic women, those were negatively correlated with the PlGF levels (r=-0.423, p=0.005). Furthermore, the log[sFlt-1/PlGF] ratio was significantly higher in the preeclamptic women than in normal controls (p<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve revealed a specificity of 78% with a diagnostic sensitivity of 80.4%; the optimal cut-off value of the log[sFlt-1/PlGF] ratio was 1.4 (95% CI 0.756-0.910, p<0.001). Preeclampsia showed a strong association with increased levels of sFlt-1 and decreased levels of PlGF in the second trimester maternal plasma. Accordingly, the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio may provide early prediction of subsequent development of preeclampsia.

Analysis of placental growth factor in placentas of normal pregnant women and women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

To investigate the expressions of placental growth factor (PLGF) in placenta with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), 45 women with HDP and 20 normally pregnant women were studied. Among 45 women with HDP, there were 23 cases of severe preeclampsia and one case of eclampsia. The location and level of PLGF proteins was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The expression of PLGF mRNA in placenta was assessed by reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that: (1) The distribution of PLGF in placenta with HDP was similar to normal one, which was mainly in the cytoplasm of villous syncytiotrophoblast and villous stroma; (2) The expression of PLGF protein was significantly decreased in placentas with mild and severe preeclampsia compared to the normal ones (0.3 +/- 0.4 vs 0.6 +/- 0.4, 0.2 +/- 0.5 vs 0.6 +/- 0.4, P 0.05); (3) The transcription levels of the PLGF mRNA in placentas with preeclampsia were significantly lower than in normal groups (3.33 +/- 0.39 vs 4.87 +/- 0.60, 1.97 +/- 0.29 vs 4.87 +/- 0.60, P < 0.01), and no differences were found between the gestational hypertension placenta and normal groups. These findings suggest that the abnormal expression of PLGF in placentas is related to the pathogenesis of HDP.

Differential rate of protein synthesis by antimesometrial and mesometrial decidual cells of rat.

Incorporation, in vitro, of labelled methionine into proteins of artificially induced decidual tissue shows the presence of an active protein synthetic machinery in the decidualising endometrium of rats. During the progressive phase, antimesometrial and mesometrial decidual cells, restricted to specific anatomical sites of the endometrium, synthesize proteins at varying rates and the rate of incorporation of methionine into proteins of mesometrial decidual cells is higher. Resolution of proteins on acrylamide gels following SDS electrophoresis shows qualitative changes in endometrial proteins at different stages of morphogenesis of decidual cells. Results are discussed in relation to characteristic morphological features of two decidual cell populations and differential gene expression in the decidualising endometrium.

Pseudocholinesterase with pregnancy

The study comprised 120 pregnant female subjects, they were classified into five groups according to duration of pregnancy and a control group. Serum albumin and serum cholinesterase [CHE] were determined. Subjects of groups I, II, III and IV were sub-divided according to age, below 20 years, from 20 - 30 years, and over 30 years. Students t test was done to compare CHE levels among these age groups. Serum albumin levels were found to decrease during the course of pregnancy regularly and in pre-eclampsia there were more decrease with significant difference. Serum cholinesterase levels were found to decrease from the first trimester regularly till the third trimester. Pre-eclamptic levels were more decreased than all other groups. Also, cholinesterase over 30 years of age was higher than that of group from 20 - 30 years and that of group below 20 years, and that of group from 20 to 30 years was higher than that of group below 20 years

Depuracion miometral de la oxitocina exogena en la hipertension arterial inducida por el embarazo / Miometrial depuration of exogenus oxytocin in induced arterial hypertension by pregnancy

La vida media uterina (VMU) de la oxitocina exogena se acepta como una medida indirecta de la vida media plasmatica de la hormona y por tanto, de su depuracion. Hasta el momento no se ha estudiado la VMU en embarazos patologicos. Este trabajo comunica las primeras medidas de la VMU en pacientes con hipertension arterial inducida por el embarazo, clasificada como pre-eclampsia severa. Los valores promedio fueron para el grupo control, 15.1 minutos; y para los casos estudiados, 25.8 minutos. Estos valores permiten calcular una vida media plasmatica aumentada casi al doble en la pre-eclampsia severa. Se discute la fisiopatologia de este hallazgo y se sugiere un posible disturbio metabolico originado en una disminucion de la depuracion renal de la oxitocina