title: Steroid profiling in preeclamptic women: evidence for aromatase deficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Experimental data have revealed the critical role played by 2-methoxy-estradiol, a metabolite of 17β-estradiol, in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. We used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to measure a whole panel of hormonal steroids in the plasma from women during the third trimester of their pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The population study consists of 24 pregnant patients with different outcomes: normal, or complicated by isolated preeclampsia or by severe preeclampsia with Hemolysis Enzyme Liver Low Platelets (HELLP) syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  17β-estradiol was reduced by 50% in isolated preeclampsia, and by 70% in severe preeclampsia with HELLP syndrome (normal: 8.54 ± 0.9 ng/mL; isolated preeclampsia: 4.65 ± 1.0 ng/mL; severe preeclampsia with HELLP syndrome: 2.64 ± 0.4 ng/mL), as is estrone. Downstream, 2-methoxy-estradiol was decreased only in severe preeclampsia with HELLP syndrome. The concentrations of estrone and 17β-estradiol precursors were comparable between groups, suggesting that placental aromatase is deficient in preeclampsia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The gradual decrease of estrogen levels with increasing severity of preeclampsia suggests an impairment of placental steroidogenesis.
authors.affiliation: APHP, Urgences Néphrologiques et Transplantation Rénale and INSERM U702, Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hertig
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liere
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chabbert-Buffet
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fort
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pianos
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eychenne
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cambourg
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berkane
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lefevre
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzan
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rondeau
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rozenberg
authors.forename: Marie-Edith
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rafestin-Oblin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001141:Aromatase / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004970:Estrone; D004958:Estradiol; D001141:Aromatase