Elevated soluble adhesion molecules in women with pre-eclampsia. Do cytokines like tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta cause endothelial activation.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) for endothelial cell activation in pre-eclampsia. Therefore, we determined and compared the correlations between these cytokines and circulating adhesion molecules in the sera of pre-eclamptic pregnant women, normotensive pregnant women and nonpregnant women.


METHODS
The soluble adhesion molecules VCAM-1, ICAM-1, E-selectin, and P-selectin were determined in the serum of 38 pre-eclamptic pregnant women and 40 normotensive pregnant and nonpregnant controls using ELISA-techniques. We correlated these serum concentrations with the serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, respectively, also determined by ELISA.


RESULTS
Elevated serum levels of VCAM-1 and E-selectin could be detected in pre-eclamptic patients, with and without HELLP-syndrome. In contrast, no increased serum concentration of ICAM-1, P-selectin, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were found in these patients. While significant correlation between VCAM-1 and E-selectin could be determined (r=0.604; p<0.001) no unambiguous correlations, however, were found between TNF-alpha or between IL-1beta and the examined adhesion molecules or the selectins.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to in vitro investigations on cultured umbilical vein endothelium, our experimental results indicate that the cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-1beta can not explain endothelial cell activation, and that their measurement in serum is not useful for the detection of pre-eclampsia.
Heyl
W
W
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aachen, Germany.
Handt
S
S
Reister
F
F
Gehlen
J
J
Schröder
W
W
Mittermayer
C
C
Rath
W
W
D000328:Adult; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D007375:Interleukin-1; D019007:P-Selectin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1