Circulating endothelial cells: a marker of vascular damage in patients with preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
Preeclampsia is a disorder of endothelial cells, and novel markers of the disease are eagerly awaited. We tested the hypothesis that circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are elevated in preeclampsia and that cell numbers correlate with disease activity.


METHODS
CECs were measured in 10 patients with preeclampsia as well as pregnant and nonpregnant controls. Cells were enumerated prior to delivery, 1 and 3-5 days thereafter. Enumeration of CECs was performed with anti-CD 146-driven immunomagnetic isolation and subsequent Ulex lectin staining.


RESULTS
Markedly elevated CEC numbers were detected in women with preeclampsia (median 88 cells/mL; P < .001) when compared with normal pregnancies (median 16 cells/mL) and healthy nonpregnant women (12 cells/mL). There was a significant correlation of CEC numbers and systolic blood pressure (P < .02). A rapid decline of cell numbers after delivery paralleled the clinical recovery.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating endothelial cells are a novel marker of vascular damage in preeclampsia.
Grundmann
Magdalena
M
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Woywodt
Alexander
A
Kirsch
Torsten
T
Hollwitz
Bettina
B
Oehler
Katrin
K
Erdbruegger
Uta
U
Haller
Hermann
H
Haubitz
Marion
M
D000328:Adult; D042783:Endothelial Cells; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy