Endothelial cell function enhancement in a late normal human pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess endothelial cell function throughout normal human pregnancy.


METHODS
Longitudinal observational study.


METHODS
Pregnant women attending antenatal clinics and female nursing staff.


METHODS
Flow mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured by high resolution ultrasound and used as a surrogate measure for endothelial cell function and measured in pregnant women and in non-pregnant female controls. Measurements were performed throughout normal pregnancies in each trimester.


RESULTS
Mean FMD was increased by 80% and 64% in the third trimester compared to the first and second trimesters, respectively, and by 92% compared to the mean FMD of the non-pregnant controls. The increased FMD in the third trimester was demonstrated to be statistically significant in comparison with all the above groups by two-sample t-tests (P < 0.01 for all comparisons).


CONCLUSIONS
Endothelial cell function, measured by ultrasound assessment of FMD, is enhanced in late normal human pregnancy.
Faber-Swensson
Anders Per
AP
School of Medical Practice and Population Health, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
O'Callaghan
Stephen Patrick Michael
SP
Walters
William Allen Willcox
WA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*