Aberrant processing of plasma vitronectin and high-molecular-weight kininogen precedes the onset of preeclampsia.
To date, there is no reliable test to identify women in early pregnancy at risk of developing preeclampsia. Difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) identified the plasma proteins vitronectin (VN) and high-molecular-weight kininogen (HK) in association with preeclampsia. In a longitudinal proteomics study, the plasma of preeclamptic patients (n = 6) was compared to healthy control participants (n = 6) before the onset of preeclampsia (week 20) and at the time of presentation with clinical disease (weeks 33-36). The 75-kd single-chain VN molecule increased 1.6- to 1.9-fold in preeclampsia, whereas the 65-kd moiety of the 2-chain VN molecule decreased 1.5- to 1.7-fold compared to healthy controls (P < .05). Immunoblots revealed differences in proteolytic processing of VN and/or HK in women who develop preeclampsia or preeclampsia further complicated by small-for-gestational-age. Vitronectin and HK may prove to be useful as early markers of fibrinolytic activity and neutrophil activation, which are known to be associated with preeclampsia.
Blumenstein
Marion
M
School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. m.blumenstein@auckland.ac.nz
Prakash
Roneel
R
Cooper
Garth J S
GJ
North
Robyn A
RA
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019679:Kininogen, High-Molecular-Weight / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D019096:Vitronectin / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry
D015415:Biomarkers; D019679:Kininogen, High-Molecular-Weight; D019096:Vitronectin