Maternal plasma soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and free vascular endothelial growth factor at 11 to 13 weeks of gestation in preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the maternal plasma concentration of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and free vascular endothelial growth factor (free-VEGF) at 11 to 13 weeks of gestation in patients destined to develop preeclampsia (PE) and to examine whether any possible differences in maternal plasma levels are related to uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) and maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF).


METHODS
Plasma free-VEGF, plasma sFlt-1, serum PlGF and uterine artery PI were measured at 11 to 13 weeks in 90 cases that subsequently developed PE and in 180 unaffected controls.


RESULTS
In the majority of cases of PE and controls the levels of free-VEGF were undetectable. In the pregnancies that developed PE, compared to unaffected controls, uterine artery PI was higher, serum PlGF was lower but there was no significant difference in levels of sFlt-1.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of free-VEGF and sFlt-1 in maternal blood at 11 to 13 weeks of gestation is not useful in the prediction of pregnancies destined to develop PE.
Akolekar
Ranjit
R
Department of Fetal Medicine, Kings College Hospital, London, UK.
de Cruz
Jader
J
Foidart
Jean-Michel
JM
Munaut
Carine
C
Nicolaides
Kypros H
KH
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1