A decrease in maternal plasma concentrations of sVEGFR-2 precedes the clinical diagnosis of preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine if maternal plasma concentrations of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (sVEGFR)-2 change prior to the diagnosis of preeclampsia.


METHODS
A longitudinal study was conducted in normal pregnant women (n = 160) and patients with preeclampsia (n = 40). Blood samples were collected at 7 gestational age intervals from 6 weeks to term. Plasma concentrations of sVEGFR-2 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Analysis was performed with cross-sectional and longitudinal (mixed effects model) approaches.


RESULTS
Mothers destined to develop preeclampsia have lower plasma sVEGFR-2 concentrations than those who will have a normal pregnancy (longitudinal approach; P < .05). Cross-sectional analysis suggested that the median plasma sVEGFR-2 concentration in women destined to develop preeclampsia was significantly lower than that in normal pregnant women from 28-31 weeks of gestation (P = .001) or 6-10 weeks prior to the diagnosis (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
A lower maternal plasma sVEGFR-2 concentration precedes the development of preeclampsia, both term and preterm.
Perinatology Research Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. tchaiwor@med.wayne.edu
Tinnakorn
T
Chaiworapongsa
Roberto
R
Romero
Adi L
AL
Tarca
Juan Pedro
JP
Kusanovic
Francesca
F
Gotsch
Pooja
P
Mittal
Sun Kwon
SK
Kim
Edi
E
Vaisbuch
Shali
S
Mazaki-Tovi
Offer
O
Erez
Zhong
Z
Dong
Chong Jai
CJ
Kim
Lami
L
Yeo
Sonia S
SS
Hassan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2