The imbalance of plasminogen activators and inhibitor in preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of plasminogen activators (tPA uPA) and inhibitor (PAI-1) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.


METHODS
tPA uPA and PAI-1 antigens were measured in amniotic fluid, maternal plasma, and placental homogenates in normal pregnancy by ELISA method and compared with that of preeclampsia.


RESULTS
In normal pregnancy, tPA, uPA and PAI-1 levels increase as the gestation advance, but the increment of PAI-1 in amniotic fluid (28.3-fold) is larger than that of tPA and uPA (1.8-fold, 8.5-fold) (p < 0.001). Decidua homogenates contained larger amount of PAI-1 than villi. Whereas, villi had higher levels of tPA uPA than decidua (p < 0.01). In preeclampsia, the significantly higher levels of PAI-1 were observed in AF and decidua tissue as compared to the normals (p < 0.01), and the increment of PAI-1 in preeclampsia is larger than that of tPA, uPA.


CONCLUSIONS
The elevated PAI-1 level is associated with the preeclampsia and the imbalance between the plasminogen activators (tPA, uPA) and the inhibitor (PAI-1) might be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Gao
M
M
Maternal and Perinatal Center, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
Nakabayashi
M
M
Sakura
M
M
Takeda
Y
Y
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000032:analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D001324:Autoantigens; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator