Endothelial cell markers and fibrinopeptide A to D-dimer ratio as a measure of coagulation and fibrinolysis balance in normal pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
Changes in hemostatic system were evaluated in healthy pregnant women.


METHODS
Blood was sampled in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters of gestation, during delivery and 3 days postpartum and plasma factors were measured using commercial tests.


RESULTS
Thrombin-antithrombin III complexes, fibrinopeptide A and D-dimer were higher during pregnancy. The endothelial cell markers, fibronectin and tissue factor, remained within the normal reference values in the healthy nonpregnant population. This result suggests no endothelial injury and shows no activation of extrinsic coagulation pathway during pregnancy. The balance coagulation/fibrinolysy is maintained during pregnancy and delivery, as shown by the ratio fibrinopeptide A/D-dimer, however, a tendency towards coagulation process is developed in the early puerperium.
Unitat de Medicina Materno-fetal, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain. jbellarta@meditex.es
J
J
Bellart
R
R
Gilabert
R M
RM
Miralles
J
J
Monasterio
L
L
Cabero
D000328:Adult; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000737:chemistry*; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D004727:Endothelium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A / Q000378:metabolism*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D005353:Fibronectins; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A; D000990:Antithrombin III; D013925:Thromboplastin; D013917:Thrombin