Angiopoietin-2: a promising indicator for the occurrence of severe preeclampsia.
BACKGROUND
The known connection between placental hypoxia and the development of preeclampsia suggests that angiogenic factors in the placenta would be changed and affect the maternal and/or umbilical cord plasma levels in patients with preeclampsia.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the difference and correlation of placental mRNA expression and maternal/umbilical cord plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), angiopoietin-1, and angiopoietin-2 between women with severe preeclampsia and normal pregnancies.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with severe preeclampsia and 29 normotensive pregnant women were studied. The placental mRNA expression was assessed using real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Maternal/umbilical cord plasma levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Nonparametric methods were applied for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
. Placental mRNA expression of angiopoietin-2 was significantly increased in patients with severe preeclampsia (p < 0.001). The maternal plasma angiopoietin-2 protein level was also significantly increased in women with severe preeclampsia (p < 0.05) and showed a positive correlation with the placental mRNA expression of angiopoietin-2 (r = 0.54, p < 0.005). For VEGF-A and angiopoietin-1, there were no significant differences between the two groups. A maternal plasma angiopoietin-2 concentration of 8.4 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 63% and a specificity of 83% for predicting severe preeclampsia.


CONCLUSIONS
Placental angiopoietin-2 mRNA expression was increased and correlated with the maternal plasma angiopoietin-2 protein concentration in women with severe preeclampsia. This suggests that the plasma angiopoietin-2 protein level may be a candidate marker for severe preeclampsia.
Han
Soo Yeon
SY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jun
Jong Kwan
JK
Lee
Cha-Hui
CH
Park
Joong Shin
JS
Syn
Hee Chul
HC
D000328:Adult; D042683:Angiopoietin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
C467630:ANGPT1 protein, human; D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A