Vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenin levels during fetal development and in maternal diabetes.
We evaluated the concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiogenin in the umbilical cord blood from 14 fetuses with erythroblastosis or alloimmune thrombocytopenia and at birth from 28 preterm fetuses, from 42 healthy term fetuses, and from 24 term fetuses born to mothers with insulin-treated diabetes. A correlation appeared between VEGF and angiogenin levels (r = 0.44, p = 0.038). The gestational age correlated with both VEGF (r = 0.38, p = 0.0008) and angiogenin levels (r = 0.80, p = 0.0001). The concentration of VEGF was lower in fetuses born to mothers with insulin-treated diabetes than in the healthy term fetuses (p = 0.0028), but this difference was absent for angiogenin (p > 0.05). In conclusion, in umbilical cord plasma, a developmental increase was evident in concentrations of VEGF and angiogenin during the last trimester of gestation. That the umbilical cord VEGF level was lower in term fetuses born to mothers with diabetes than in term fetuses of healthy mothers may be associated with an aberrant fetal vascular development in diabetic pregnancies.
Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Finland. patrik.lassus@helsinki.fi
Patrik
P
Lassus
Kari
K
Teramo
Irmeli
I
Nupponen
Helene
H
Markkanen
Katariina
K
Cederqvist
Sture
S
Andersson
D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004899:Erythroblastosis, Fetal / Q000097:blood; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / Q000097:blood*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000276:immunology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
D007328:Insulin; D007518:Isoantibodies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004921:Erythropoietin; C046366:angiogenin; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic