title: Maternal, gestational and neonatal characteristics and maternal angiogenic factors in normotensive pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alterations in maternal circulating angiogenic factors are proposed to result in hypertension and proteinuria and development of preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to explore whether preeclampsia risk factors are associated with maternal angiogenic profile in normotensive pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Associations of pregnancy characteristics and maternal serum concentrations at delivery of proangiogenic placental growth factor (PlGF), antiangiogenic soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (sFlt1) and soluble endoglin (sEng), as well as the antiangiogenic ratios sFlt1/PlGF and (sFlt1+sEng)/PlGF were analyzed in 43 normotensive and 44 preeclamptic pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normotensive pregnancies, increasing maternal age was associated with a more antiangiogenic profile, including lower PlGF concentrations and a higher (sFlt1+sEng)/PlGF ratio (P<0.05). In preeclampsia, shorter length of gestation and lower birth weight percentile were associated with a more antiangiogenic profile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A greater antiangiogenic profile with older maternal age may suggest a biological mechanism which mediates this preeclampsia risk factor. In preeclampsia, the antiangiogenic state was more pronounced with clinical characteristics indicative of greater disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. annetine.staff@uus.no
authors.forename: Anne Cathrine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Staff
authors.forename: Nina Kittelsen
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Harsem
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Braekke
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hyer
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Troisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D001724:Birth Weight; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1