Plasma hemopexin activity in pregnancy and preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
Plasma hemopexin activity, associated with increased vascular permeability, was evaluated in healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women and in pre-eclamptic women.


METHODS
Hemopexin activity and the hemopexin inhibitor, extracellular ATP, were assayed in plasma from pregnant (n = 10), preeclamptic (n = 9), and non-pregnant women (n = 10) using standard methods. Abdominal fascia tissue fragments from preeclamptic and pregnant women were immunohistochemically stained for vascular ecto-apyrase or ecto-5'nucleotidase.


RESULTS
The data show significantly enhanced Hx activity exclusively in plasma from pregnant women and significantly enhanced plasma ATP in pre-eclamptic women compared with the other groups. Dephosphorylation of preeclamptic plasma resulted in reactivation of Hx activity. Fascia tissue-samples from preeclamptic women showed reduced ecto-apyrase activity and enhanced ecto-5'nucleotidase activity compared to pregnant women.


CONCLUSIONS
Enhanced hemopexin activity may be associated with normal pregnancy, but not with preeclampsia. Decreased hemopexin in pre-eclamptic patients may be due to enhanced plasma ATP, which is possibly promoted by diminished activity of vascular ecto-apyrase.
Bakker
Winston W
WW
Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center of Groningen and University of Groningen. Groningen. The Netherlands. w.w.bakker@path.umcg.nl
Donker
Rogier B
RB
Timmer
Albertus
A
van Pampus
Mariëlle G
MG
van Son
Willem J
WJ
Aarnoudse
Jan G
JG
van Goor
Harry
H
Niezen-Koning
Klary E
KE
Navis
Gerjan
G
Borghuis
Theo
T
Jongman
Rianne M
RM
Faas
Marijke M
MM
D015720:5'-Nucleotidase / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001081:Apyrase / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005205:Fascia / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006466:Hemopexin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009426:Netherlands; D021041:Placental Circulation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D006466:Hemopexin; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D001081:Apyrase; C067869:CD39 antigen