title: Smoking and sVEGFR-1: circulating maternal concentrations and placental expression.
abstract: Smoking reduces the expression of VEGFR-1 in non-pregnant women. In pregnant women it reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia, which in turn is associated with increased placental expression of VEGFR-1 and increased maternal circulating soluble VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1). We therefore hypothesized that smoking might affect VEGFR-1 expression in pregnant women. In maternal plasma sVEGFR-1 concentrations during the third trimester in both smoking (median 1088, range 834-1362ng/L, n=20) and non-smoking (728, 719-1336ng/L, n=19) women were higher than during the second trimester (smokers 374, 291-683ng/L, n=6, p>0.05; non-smokers 375, 290-667ng/L, n=22, p<0.001). No difference was observed between smokers and non-smokers. Secretion of sVEGFR-1 into the culture medium, as well as the pattern and intensity of immunostaining in first trimester placenta were similar in tissue from smoking (n=22) and non-smoking (n=20) women. Thus, contrary to our hypothesis, smoking does not affect circulating maternal sVEGFR-1 concentrations or placental secretion of sVEGFR-1 or expression of VEGFR-1 in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Biomedicum Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Meerit.Kamarainen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Meerit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kämäräinen
authors.forename: Tuuli
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soini
authors.forename: Katja-Anneli
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Wathén
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: Ulf-Håkan
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Stenman
authors.forename: Piia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vuorela
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood*; D012995:Solubility; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1