Elevated plasma chymotrypsin-like protease (chymase) activity in women with preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
Chymase, a chymotrypsin-like protease, is a non-ACE angiotensin II (Ang II) generating enzyme. We determined if maternal chymotrypsin-like protease/chymase activity was increased in women with preeclampsia (PE).


METHODS
Maternal plasma was extracted from venous blood of healthy nonpregnant women, women with normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. Chymotrypsin-like protease/chymase activity was measured by a colorimetric assay. Maternal vessel chymotrypsin-like protease/chymase expression was examined by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Maternal plasma chymotrypsin-like protease/chymase activity was significantly higher in women with PE than in nonpregnant and normal pregnant women: 0.181 +/- 0.011 vs. 0.097 +/- 0.05 (p < 0.01) and 0.132 +/- 0.013 (p < 0.05) microkat/mL. Chymotrypsin-like protease/chymase activity was markedly reduced 24 hours postpartum in women with PE, p < 0.05. Enhanced chymotrypsin-like protease/chymase expression was observed in vascular endothelium in women with PE compared with those in normal pregnancies.


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated maternal chymotrypsin-like protease/chymase activity and enhanced protease immunostaining in the maternal vessel endothelium may constitute the exacerbated inflammatory state and account for the increased vascular Ang II sensitivity in PE.
Wang
Yuping
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Louisiana State University, Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130, USA. ywang1@lsuhsc.edu
Gu
Yang
Y
Lewis
David F
DF
Alexander
J Steven
JS
Granger
D Neil
DN
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D053818:Chymases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
D053818:Chymases