Decreased maternal plasma apelin concentrations in preeclampsia.
BACKGROUND
Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that complicates 3-7% of pregnancies. The development of preeclampsia has not been completely elucidated and current therapies are not broadly efficacious. The apelinergic system appears to be involved in hypertensive disorders and experimental studies indicate a role of this system in preeclampsia. Thus, an epidemiological evaluation of apelin protein concentration in plasma was conducted in case-control study of pregnant women.


METHODS
Data and maternal plasma samples were collected from pregnant women with confirmed preeclampsia (n = 76) or normotensive controls (n = 79). Concentrations of apelin peptides were blindly measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were subjected to statistical analyses.


RESULTS
Plasma apelin concentrations, measured at delivery, were lower in preeclampsia cases compared with controls (mean ± standard deviation: 0.66 ± 0.29 vs. 0.78 ± 0.31 ng/mL, p = 0.02). After controlling for confounding by maternal age, smoking status, and pre-pregnancy body mass index, odds of preeclampsia were 48% lower for women with high versus low plasma apelin (≥0.73 vs. <0.73 ng/mL) concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Reduced circulating apelin peptides may be associated with preeclampsia. The apelinergic system should be further investigated to elucidate its role in preclampsia and other hypertensive maternal disorders.
Discovery and Analytical Sciences, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA.
Katherine D
KD
Bortoff
Chunfang
C
Qiu
Scott
S
Runyon
Michelle A
MA
Williams
Rangan
R
Maitra
D000328:Adult; D000073861:Apelin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
C115436:APLN protein, human; D000073861:Apelin; D015415:Biomarkers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins