title: Are the maternal and umbilical VEGF-A and SVEGF-R1 altered in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia with or without intrauterine foetal growth retardation? Preliminary communication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  the aim of this study was a comparative analysis of the maternal and umbilical cord Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) and its soluble Receptor type 1 (sVEGF-R1) serum concentrations in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia with and without intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and in normotensive pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  the study was carried out on 9 patients with singleton pregnancies complicated by severe preeclampsia with appropriate-for-gestational-age weight infants (group P) and 9 pregnant patients with severe preeclampsia complicated by intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (group PI). The control group were 8 healthy normotensive patients with singleton uncomplicated pregnancies. Maternal and umbilical serum human VEGF-A and sVEGF-R1 concentrations were assessed using ELISA assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in our study in both groups of preeclamptic women (P and PI) the concentrations of maternal serum VEGF were lower and the concentrations of soluble VEGF receptor type 1 were higher than in the healthy pregnant women. The umbilical cord concentrations of sVEGF-R1 were increased in the group with preeclampsia complicated by IUGR and decreased in the preeclamptic women with the normal for gestational age foetal growth. On the other hand VEGF concentrations were lower in preeclampsia with IUGR and higher in the preeclamptic women without IUGR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  it seems that VEGF may be responsible for the adequate perfusion of fetoplacental unit, normal foetal oxygenation, nutrition and appropriate intrauterine foetal growth. However, it is necessary to conduct further studies on a larger group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Klinika Poloznictwa i Perinatologii, Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Prof. F Skubiszewskiego, ul. Jaczewskiego 8, Lublin, Poland. melaskowska@go2.pl
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laskowska
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laskowska
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leszczyńska-Gorzelak
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oleszczuk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1