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Assessment of angiogenesis modulators in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia: a case–control study

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the serum concentration of factors associated with placental angiogenesis in pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnant women.

Methods

This was a prospective, cross-sectional, case–control study in which the pro-angiogenic factors PlGF, VEGF and IL-10, and the anti-angiogenic factors IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α of 55 pregnant women (31 with pre-eclampsia—PE and 24 normotensive), with gestational age ≥20 weeks, were measured in maternal blood through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for comparison between groups.

Results

Serum PIGF was reduced in the group of pregnant women with PE when compared with the normotensive women (493.2 ± 55.1 pg/mL vs. 4.4 ± 26.5 pg/mL; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in PlGF levels in the pre-eclamptic pregnant women in relation to gestational age or proteinuria levels (p > 0.05). The serum levels of VEGF, IL-17, IL-10 and TNF-α were lower in the pregnant women with PE when compared with their normotensive peers, while the IL-6 levels were higher; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Serum PlGF levels were reduced in the pregnant women with PE and were unrelated to disease severity. Serum levels of VEGF, IL-17, IL-10 and TNF-α were reduced in the pre-eclamptic pregnant women when compared with their normotensive peers, without statistically significant differences.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Fundação de Ensino e Pesquisa de Uberaba (FUNEPU) which gave the financial support to the development of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil

    Guilhermo Justino Mundim & Marina Carvalho Paschoini

  2. Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM–UNIFESP), Rua Belchior de Azevedo, 156 apto. 111 Torre Vitoria, São Paulo, SP, 05083-030, Brazil

    Edward Araujo Júnior

  3. Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Fabricio Da Silva Costa

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Fabricio Da Silva Costa

  5. Discipline of Immunology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil

    Virmondes Rodrigues Júnior

Authors
  1. Guilhermo Justino Mundim
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  2. Marina Carvalho Paschoini
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  3. Edward Araujo Júnior
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  4. Fabricio Da Silva Costa
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  5. Virmondes Rodrigues Júnior
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Correspondence to Edward Araujo Júnior.

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Mundim, G.J., Paschoini, M.C., Araujo Júnior, E. et al. Assessment of angiogenesis modulators in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia: a case–control study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 293, 369–375 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3823-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3823-x

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