title: VEGF expression in the placenta from pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the expression of VEGF in the placental tissue from pregnancies complicated by hypertension disorders of different clinical severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Polyclinic of Careggi, University of Florence, Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Placentas from women with gestational hypertension (n= 20), pre-eclampsia (n= 20) and pre-eclampsia with HELLP syndrome (n= 20) and from normotensive women (n= 20), as control group (gestational age comprised between 35 and 38 weeks).
  
  
  METHODS
  An immunohistochemical technique and a quantitative analysis to measure mRNA levels (RT-PCR) were employed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intensity of immunoreactivity and mRNA levels in the placental components. Differences between the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VEGF immunoreactivity was observable in all the placental components in the gestational hypertension cases as in the control ones. In the cases with pre-eclampsia and pre-eclampsia with HELLP syndrome, some placental components were not immunoreactive. However, the VEGF positive components of all the pathological groups showed a higher intensity of reactivity with respect to that of the control group. The levels of VEGF mRNA were higher in the gestational hypertension cases and lower in the cases of pre-eclampsia with HELLP syndrome with respect to the control ones; in the cases of pre-eclampsia, the levels were the same as the control ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The different expression of VEGF in the placenta of the pathological cases is probably related to haemodynamic changes that take place in these disorders, in order to attempt restoration of a normal uteroplacental flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology and Forensic Medicine, 85, 50134, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sgambati
authors.forename: Mirca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Giorgia D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Zappoli Thyrion
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parretti
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simi
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tricarico
authors.forename: Gherardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gheri
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brizzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A