Soluble endoglin and transforming growth factor-beta1 in women who subsequently developed preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to analyze the differences of soluble endoglin (sEng) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) according to preeclamptic complications and to investigate the correlation between these factors and the clinical symptoms of preeclampsia.


METHODS
We estimated the levels of sEng and TGF-beta1 in plasma collected in the second trimester at the time of genetic amniocentesis from 60 women who subsequently developed preeclampsia and 124 contemporaneous normotensive women.


RESULTS
sEng levels were higher in cases than in controls, whereas TGF-beta1 levels were lower (P < 0.001). sEng levels, but not TGF-beta1 levels, were higher in cases with severe or preterm delivery than in cases with mild preeclampsia or term delivery (P < 0.001) and were increased in cases destined to deliver a small gestational age neonate (P < 0.001). Moreover, sEng levels, but not TGF-beta1 levels, showed a positive correlation with maximum diastolic and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.57, P < 0.001; and r = 0.33, P < 0.001, respectively) and proteinuria (r = 0.42, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Early midtrimester plasma levels of sEng are predictive of subsequence occurrence and severity of preeclampsia, in terms of severity of hypertension and proteinuria, prematurity, and association with small for gestational age neonates.
Lim
Ji Hyae
JH
The Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Medical Research Institute, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Shin Young
SY
Park
So Yeon
SY
Lee
Moon Hee
MH
Yang
Jae Hyug
JH
Kim
Moon Young
MY
Chung
Jin Hoon
JH
Lee
Si Won
SW
Ryu
Hyun Mee
HM
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003944:Diagnostic Techniques, Obstetrical and Gynecological; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*
D015703:Antigens, CD; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1