title: Analysis of plasma elastase levels in early and late onset preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulatory neutrophils have been reported to be activated in preeclampsia. It has been suggested that maternal plasma levels of elastase may serve as a possible cell-free marker to quantify such activation. Although plasma elastase levels have been found to be elevated in cases with manifest preeclampsia and eclampsia, this has not yet been examined in cases with early and late onset preeclampsia. We have now examined this aspect.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, maternal plasma samples were examined from eight cases with early onset preeclampsia (<34 weeks of gestation), eight cases with late onset preeclampsia (>34 weeks of gestation) and an equal number of gestational age matched normotensive term controls. Plasma concentrations of elastase were measured by ELISA using a commercially available assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma elastase concentrations were significantly elevated the preeclampsia study group when compared to the normotensive control group (median=139.2 ng/ml versus median=72.1 ng/ml; P=0.0025). These elevations remained significant when the preeclampsia study group was stratified into case with early onset preeclampsia (median=118.8 ng/ml versus median=62.2 ng/ml; P=0.03), but jailed failed to attain significance for those cases with late onset preeclampsia (median=181.3 ng/ml versus median=86.3 ng/ml; P=0.061).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that elastase levels are elevated in both early and late onset forms of preeclampsia, and imply that the activation of neutrophils may be more acute in the former than in the latter (238 words).
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Prenatal Medicine, University Women's Hospital/Department of Research, Spitalstrasse 21, CH 4031, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anurag Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gebhardt
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hillermann
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Holzgreve
authors.forename: Sinuhe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000097:blood*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D019272:Leukocyte Elastase