Increased soluble VCAM-1 serum levels in preeclampsia are not correlated to urinary excretion or circadian blood pressure rhythm.
OBJECTIVE
Soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is known to be elevated in serum of patients with preeclampsia, but there are no data available on the significance of urinary VCAM-1 excretion in preeclampsia. The aim of our study was to uncover possible circadian rhythms of VCAM-1 plasma levels and urinary VCAM-1 excretion in uncomplicated and hypertensive pregnancies and to ascertain their relation to blood pressure.


METHODS
A total of 10 normotensive and 10 preeclamptic pregnant women were included in this study. Venous blood was collected hourly, and urine samples were taken every 2 h over a period of 24 h. VCAM-1 levels were determined by ELISA. We compared these results with the circadian blood pressure rhythm.


RESULTS
The median VCAM-1 plasma levels were significantly (P < 0.01) increased in preeclamptic patients (851.5 ng/mL) in comparison to normotensive pregnant women (659.3 ng/mL) without any circadian rhythm being apparent; however, the urinary excretion of VCAM-1 showed a typical circadian rhythm, with a higher excretion rate during daytime.


CONCLUSIONS
For the first time we have demonstrated that urinary VCAM-1 excretion in pregnancy shows a circadian rhythm without correlation to plasma levels or the circadian blood pressure rhythm. In contrast, VCAM-1 serum levels did not show a diurnal rhythm. We assume that VCAM-1 serum levels do not correlate with systemic blood pressure or urinary excretion.
Heyl
W
W
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Klinikum Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany. wolfgang.heyl@kliniken-lb.de
Heintz
B
B
Reister
F
F
Harwig
S
S
Witte
K
K
Lemmer
B
B
Rath
W
W
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012995:Solubility; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*
D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1