title: Physiological distribution of placental growth factor and soluble Flt-1 in early pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the distribution of placental growth factor (PlGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sFlt-1) in maternal and embryonic fluid compartments in early pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentrations of PlGF, VEGF and sFlt-1 were measured in coelomic fluid and maternal serum from 16 singleton pregnancies at 7.0-9.3 weeks. In six cases, amniotic fluid was also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median concentration of PlGF was 14.1 (range 8.9-27.6) pg/mL in maternal serum, 13.9 (range 9.5-31.4) pg/mL in coelomic fluid and 8.9 (range 3.9-15.3) pg/mL in amniotic fluid. The concentration of PlGF increased between 7.0 and 9.3 weeks in maternal serum (p = 0.001) and decreased in coelomic and amniotic fluid (p = 0.001). The median concentration of sFlt-1 was 8561 (range 6724-10 673) pg/mL in coelomic fluid, 523 (range 244-986) pg/mL in maternal serum, 30 (range 12-83) pg/mL in amniotic fluid (p = 0.0001), and it did not change significantly with gestation. VEGF was undetectable in most of the samples, and therefore, no further analysis was performed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PlGF and sFlt-1 are present in the maternal and fetal fluid compartments in very early pregnancy, and their distribution is consistent with their site of production and the local conditions of transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ioannina University Hospital, 45500 Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Makrydimas
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sotiriadis
authors.forename: Makrina D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Savvidou
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Kypros H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1