Tissue factor levels and high ratio of fibrinopeptide A:D-dimer as a measure of endothelial procoagulant disorder in pre-eclampsia.
To assess coagulation activation and endothelial cell injury in normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnant women, a comparison was made of plasma levels of tissue factor, fibronectin, fibrinopeptide A and D-dimer. Samples were taken from 50 nonpregnant women, 40 normotensive pregnant women in the third trimester and 27 women with pre-eclampsia after diagnosis and before treatment. High levels of fibrinopeptide A and D-dimer were found in pre-eclamptic women. Moreover, the ratio fibrinopeptide A:D-dimer was much greater in the pre-eclampsia group than in normotensive pregnant women. The levels of fibronectin and tissue factor were also higher in the pre-eclampsia group. The increase of tissue factor levels suggests an alteration of the extrinsic coagulation pathway in pre-eclampsia. The increase of fibrinopeptide A:D-dimer ratio shows that the activation of coagulation is associated with a relative hypofibrinolysis in pre-eclampsia.
Bellart
J
J
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tarragona Joan XXIII Hospital, Rovira i Virgili University, Tarragona, Spain.
Gilabert
R
R
Anglès
A
A
Piera
V
V
Miralles
R M
RM
Monasterio
J
J
Cabero
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A / Q000032:analysis*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000032:analysis*
D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A; D013925:Thromboplastin