title: Maternal angiogenic profile in pregnancies that remain normotensive.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine if maternal characteristics are associated with angiogenic profile in the first and second trimester of normotensive pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Circulating levels of maternal placental like growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (sFlt1), and soluble endoglin (sEng) were measured in serum samples collected during the first (median 11.3 weeks) and second trimester (median 17.1 weeks) of 182 normotensive pregnancies. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured at the same visits when samples were collected to measure angiogenic factors. Linear regression analysis was used to examine associations of the angiogenic measures with maternal characteristics. The association between blood pressure measures and concentrations of angiogenic factors was evaluated using Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In adjusted analyses, nulliparous women had higher sFlt1 concentrations in both first (p=0.06) and second (p=0.001) trimester. Higher BMI was associated with greater sFlt1 concentrations in both the first (p=0.004) and second trimester (p=0.008), but significantly lower sEng concentrations in both trimesters (p=0.002 for first trimester and p=0.0009 for second). Nulliparity and higher BMI also were associated with higher sFlt1/PLGF anti-angiogenic ratios in both first (p=0.05 and p=0.007, respectively) and second trimesters (p=0.003 and p=0.02, respectively). First trimester sFlt1 levels were weakly correlated with first trimester SBP (r(s)=0.18, p=0.03) and MAP (r(s)=0.16, p=0.04). Second trimester sEng levels were inversely associated with second trimester MAP (r(s)=-0.17, p=0.05). Including blood pressure measures in the linear regression models did not change the reported associations of angiogenic factors with maternal characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that even early in normotensive pregnancies maternal characteristics are associated with variations in angiogenic profile across this population.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Center for Cancer Training, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD USA. badgerje@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Faupel-Badger
authors.forename: Anne Cathrine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Staff
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thadhani
authors.forename: Camille E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Powe
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Potischman
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Troisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000097:blood*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1