Basic fibroblast growth factor and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
We examined serum concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and analyzed whether serum concentrations of bFGF can be used as a discriminator between mild and severe preeclampsia.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty pregnant women were included in this prospective cohort study. We evaluated serum concentrations of bFGF in pregnant women with chronic hypertension (n=22), mild preeclampsia (n=40), severe preeclampsia (n=31), and healthy pregnant women (n=27).


RESULTS
Median serum concentrations of bFGF in healthy pregnant women, women with chronic hypertension, and women with mild or severe preeclampsia were 0.0 (0-37.2), 0.0 (0-3.0), 1.7 (0-97.2), and 0.0 (0-52.0), respectively. Comparison of the median values of serum bFGF concentrations showed a significant difference between healthy pregnant women and women with mild preeclampsia (P=0.02). In a logistic regression model, we found a significant influence of bFGF serum concentrations on the diagnosis of mild preeclampsia (P=0.01), but not on the diagnosis of chronic hypertension (P=0.19) or severe preeclampsia (P=0.41).


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated serum concentrations of bFGF are associated with mild preeclampsia, but are not discriminatory for the distinction between mild and severe preeclampsia.
Hohlagschwandtner
Maria
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria. Maria.Hohlagschwandtner@akh-wien.ac.at
Knöfler
Martin
M
Ploner
Meinhard
M
Zeisler
Harald
H
Joura
Elmar A
EA
Husslein
Peter
P
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2