title: Decreased expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor and visfatin in the placental bed of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to examine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and visfatin in the third trimester placental bed of pregnancies with and without preeclampsia (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of placental bed biopsy tissues obtained from pregnancies with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) PE. The normotensive controls without PE were matched for gestational age at delivery with patients with PE. The expression of VEGF and visfatin in the placental bed tissues were evaluated using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistical difference between the PE group and the normotensive control group in age and body mass index (BMI). The expression of VEGF and visfatin was significantly decreased in the PE group compared with the normotensive control group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed decreased expressions of VEGF and visfatin in the third trimester placental bed of pregnancies with PE compared with the normotensive controls. This result suggests that decreased expression of these angiogenic factors in placental bed may be associated with the pathogenesis of PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Bo-Sun
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Jong-Kil
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Dong-Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Kyu-Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; C085455:nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, human