title: Vascular endothelial growth factor is bound in amniotic fluid and maternal serum.
abstract: To study vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placenta growth factor (PlGF) concentrations and their possible binders, serum from 22 non-pregnant and 55 pregnant women (15 at weeks 10-13; 40 at term), umbilical vein (n = 24) and artery (n = 13) and amniotic fluid (a pool of 50 at weeks 15-17; 11 at term) were assessed for VEGF and PlGF by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In amniotic fluid and maternal serum VEGF concentrations were <16 ng/ml and added VEGF was not recovered. VEGF was detected in serum from mothers post-partum (137 +/- 142 ng/l, mean +/- SD), umbilical artery (421 +/- 288 ng/l) and vein (502 +/- 339 ng/l) and non-pregnant controls (182 +/- 147 ng/l), and added VEGF was fully recovered. PlGF was detected in pregnancy serum (52 +/- 23 ng/l early pregnancy; 439 +/- 217 ng/l term pregnancy) and in amniotic fluid (early pregnancy 56 ng/l; term pregnancy 30 +/- 18 ng/l). PlGF was fully recovered in all samples. Gel filtration and isoelectric focusing revealed that in maternal serum and amniotic fluid [125I]VEGF was bound to a protein with an Mr of 400-700 kDa and an isoelectric point of approximately 8. This protein was not identical with alpha-2-macroglobulin (by an immunofluorometric assay), pregnancy zone protein or pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (by immunodiffusion). In conclusion, VEGF-binding activity is present in amniotic fluid and maternal blood. It disappears after delivery and is not detectable in fetal or non-pregnant serum.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors