title: Soluble P-selectin levels during normal pregnancy: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) levels and platelet parameters in normal pregnant women compared with non-pregnant control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Obstetric outpatient clinic in the Jubilee Maternity Hospital, Belfast.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty normal pregnant women and 41 non-pregnant age-matched control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The plasma concentration of sP-selectin in pregnant women sampled at 12, 20 and 35 weeks of gestation, and, in a subgroup at three days postpartum, and non-pregnant controls sampled in parallel, was determined using a commercial quantitative sandwich immunoassay kit. Platelet parameters on each blood sample were also recorded using a SYSMEX SE 9500 analyser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma sP-selectin as a measure of platelet activation in normal pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Soluble P-selectin was significantly higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant control subjects at 20 and 35 weeks of gestation, (P < 0.01, and P < 0.001, respectively). Correlation analyses showed positive correlation between sP-selectin and platelet count in pregnant women at 20 and 35 weeks of gestation (r = 0.247, P < 0.05 and r = 0.360, P < 0.001, respectively). Soluble P-selectin concentration per platelet was also significantly higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant control subjects at 20 and 35 weeks of gestation (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that sP-selectin concentration is significantly higher in the second and third trimester of pregnancy when compared with non-pregnant control subjects sampled in parallel. This finding clarifies previous conflicting results on platelet activation in normal pregnancy, and is in agreement with those earlier studies which reported, using other methods, increased platelet activation in normal pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: J M W
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McFaul
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D015539:Platelet Activation; D010976:Platelet Count; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019007:P-Selectin