Inflammatory disturbances in preeclampsia: relationship between maternal and umbilical cord blood.
Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the main causes of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. PE is associated with an inflammatory state and with oxidative stress, in maternal circulation. Our aim was to evaluate and compare the levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in maternal and umbilical cord blood (UCB), in normal and PE pregnancies. We measured acute-phase proteins (CRP and α1-antitrypsin), proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), leukocyte activation (elastase, lactoferrin, sL-selectin, sVCAM, sPECAM), total antioxidant status (TAS), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and uric acid levels. We studied 42 healthy pregnant women, 46 PE women, and their neonates. The concentrations of IL-6, TNF-α, α1-antitrypsin, CRP, sVCAM, uric acid, and TBARS were significantly higher, and sL-selectin was significantly lower in PE pregnant women as compared with normotensive pregnant women. In newborns uric acid, α1-antitrypsin, and CRP values were significantly higher in PE; leukocyte count, sL-selectin, lactoferrin, and the ratio elastase/α1-antitrypsin were significantly lower. Our data suggest that PE pregnancy is associated with an enhanced maternal inflammatory condition, which is reflected in fetal circulation. This enhanced inflammatory state seems to be related to endothelial dysfunction and increased cytokine synthesis, rather than with neutrophil activation.
Serviço de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal. cristinacatarino@ff.up.pt
Cristina
C
Catarino
Alice
A
Santos-Silva
Luís
L
Belo
Petronila
P
Rocha-Pereira
Susana
S
Rocha
Belmiro
B
Patrício
Alexandre
A
Quintanilha
Irene
I
Rebelo
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D014527:Uric Acid; D002097:C-Reactive Protein