title: Increased plasma levels of Urotensin-II in preeclampsia-eclampsia: a new mediator in pathogenesis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the possible role of human Urotensin-II (hU-II), a vasoactive peptide, in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia-eclampsia prospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty subjects, 30 with a diagnosis of preeclampsia-eclampsia (group I) and 30 control subjects (group II), who had been admitted between January, 2002 and December, 2002, were taken into the study. Patients in group I had an increase in blood pressure after 28th week of gestation, without any history of hypertensive disease and/or preeclampsia or eclampsia. hU-II levels were assessed using a radioimmunoassay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference in terms of age, gestational age, gravidity, abortion and parity was detected among groups (P > 0.05). Plasma hU-II levels in the preeclampsia-eclampsia and control groups were 10.11 +/- 5.94 pg/mL and 3.93 +/- 1.73 pg/mL, respectively. Difference between plasma hU-II levels of the two groups was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.00001). Also there was correlation between hU-II levels and mean arterial pressures in both groups (r = 0.73, P < 0.0001 and r = 0.72, P < 0.0001 for groups I and II, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of our study strongly suggest an important role for hU-II in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia-eclampsia. Further studies concerning placenta and cord blood samples will more clearly elucidate the role of Urotensin-II in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia-eclampsia, and its feto-maternal effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, P.T.T Subesi, P.K: 34, 27310 Gaziantep, Turkey. ozcanbalat@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Balat
authors.forename: Fuat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kutlar
authors.forename: Mete Gurol
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ugur
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iyikosker
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balat
authors.forename: Rüksen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anarat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000652:urine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000652:urine; D014579:Urotensins / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014579:Urotensins; C029677:urotensin II