title: The role of neutrophil activation in pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
abstract: To investigate the effect of neutrophil activation on pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia, neutrophil activation was examined by using flow cytometry to assess the CD11b expression and the levels of plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) and serum NO2- were also measured by using non-equilibrium radioimmunoassay and by Griess assay in 29 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and 31 normal pregnant women at third trimester. The expression of neutrophil CD11b was significantly elevated in women with pre-eclampsia as compared with that of normal pregnant women at third trimester. The mean fluorescence index of CD11b was 438.38 +/- 179.91 and 326.97 +/- 170.14 respectively (P < 0.05). The plasma ET-1 level and serum NO2- concentration in pre-eclampsic women (63.69 +/- 48.33 pg/ml and 20.03 +/- 4.77 mumol/L, respectively) were both significantly increased as compared with those in the normal pregnancy women (29.98 +/- 20.25 pg/ml and 15.47 +/- 5.47 mumol/L, respectively, P < 0.01). The neutrophil CD11b expression was significantly elevated in pre-eclampsia. The increased neutrophil activation may cause the damage of vascular endothelium and result in NO release compensatory increase in endothelial cells, suggesting that the neutrophil activation may play a key role in pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xiehe Hospital, Tongji Medical University, Wuhan 430022.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen; D009569:Nitric Oxide