title: Soluble and membranous vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a paucity of information on the serum soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (sVEGFR-2) concentrations, membranous VEGFR-2 expression and the mechanism involved in their modulations during the clinical onset of pre-eclampsia. This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the concentration of sVEGFR-2 in serum and to investigate the expression of membranous VEGFR-2 in placentae of pre-eclampsia group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum levels of sVEGFR-2 (n = 120) and the expression of membranous VEGFR-2 in placentae (n = 100) were analysed at third trimester of pregnancy by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry respectively. The diagnostic parameters of sensitivity, specificity and association of soluble and membranous VEGFR-2 in these patients were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of sVEGFR-2 in pre-eclampsia patients were found to be significantly reduced (p = 0.01, p = 0.001) in early and late pre-eclamptic sub-groups as compared to their respective third trimester control sub-groups. Also, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed a cut-off value of 7350.4 pg/mL, higher sensitivity (76%) and specificity (76%) for sVEGFR-2 in late onset (> 34 weeks) pre-eclamptic group. Significant down-regulation of membranous VEGFR-2 immunoreactivity was observed in all the placental cells (p = 0.0001) at > 34 weeks preeclamptic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduced serum levels of soluble VEGFR-2 and the down-regulated expression of membranous VEGFR-2 in the study group denoted abnormality in VEGF mediated placental function in all placental cells and thus VEGFR-2 may be a key factor, intimately associated with pre-eclampsia. This study shows the clinical utility of soluble and membranous VEGFR-2 in pre-eclampsia patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, VMMC & Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi, India. richa.trpth@gmail.com
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: Gayatri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rath
authors.forename: Ranju
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ralhan
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Sudha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012995:Solubility; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2