Preeclampsia and pregnancies with small-for-gestational age neonates have different profiles of complement split products.
OBJECTIVE
The activation of the complement system results in the generation of split products with pro-inflammatory properties. The objective of this study was to determine whether preeclampsia and small-for-gestational age (SGA) are associated with changes in the maternal plasma concentrations of anaphylatoxins C3a, C4a and C5a.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in the following groups: (a) normal pregnant women (n = 134); (b) women who delivered an SGA neonate (n = 53); (c) preeclampsia with (n = 52) and without SGA (n = 54). Maternal plasma anaphylatoxin concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay.


RESULTS
(1) Women with preeclampsia with or without SGA had a significantly higher median plasma C5a concentration than that of normal pregnant women and those with SGA alone (all P < 0.01); (2) women with SGA alone did not have an increase in plasma C5a concentration; (3) in contrast, the median maternal plasma concentration of C4a was lower in women with preeclampsia and SGA than that of those with a normal pregnancy (P = 0.001); (4) no changes in C3a were observed among the study groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Preeclampsia is associated with increased plasma concentration of C5a, regardless of the presence or absence of an SGA fetus. In contrast, there was no difference in the plasma C3a, C4a and C5a concentration in patients with SGA.
Soto
Eleazar
E
Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Romero
Roberto
R
Richani
Karina
K
Espinoza
Jimmy
J
Chaiworapongsa
Tinnakorn
T
Nien
Jyh Kae
JK
Edwin
Sam S
SS
Kim
Yeon Mee
YM
Hong
Joon Seok
JS
Goncalves
Luis F
LF
Yeo
Lami
L
Mazor
Moshe
M
Hassan
Sonia S
SS
Kusanovic
Juan Pedro
JP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000706:Anaphylatoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D055442:Metabolome / Q000502:physiology; D009035:Mothers; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D055815:Young Adult
D000706:Anaphylatoxins; D003165:Complement System Proteins