title: Metastin levels in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and their relation with disease severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of metastin levels in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia and to determine whether there is a relationship between the severity of the disease and Doppler velocimetry measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included 89 pregnant women (50 healthy normotensive pregnant women, 15 patients with mild pre-eclampsia, and 24 patients with severe pre-eclampsia) at the third trimester of pregnancy. The maternal levels of plasma metastin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The umbilical artery and uterine artery blood flow velocities were measured by transabdominal color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma metastin levels were lower in patients with pre-eclampsia than those in the normotensive pregnant women. Four patients with mild pre-eclampsia and seven patients with severe pre-eclampsia had abnormal Doppler velocimetry findings. Metastin levels of pre-eclamptic patients with abnormal Doppler velocimetry findings were significantly lower than those in patients with normal Doppler velocimetry findings. Plasma metastin levels negatively correlated with proteinuria in 24 hours and with mean arterial pressure in the cases of pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that decreased maternal concentrations of plasma metastin may be involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Plasma metastin levels may be useful in the assessment of the severity of pre-eclampsia. However, further trials are needed to clarify the role of metastin in pre-eclampsia.
authors: Yuzuncu Yil University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Van, Turkey.
authors: Ertan
authors: E
authors: Adali
authors: Zehra
authors: Z
authors: Kurdoglu
authors: Mertihan
authors: M
authors: Kurdoglu
authors: Mansur
authors: M
authors: Kamaci
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Kolusari
authors: Recep
authors: R
authors: Yildizhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059648:Kisspeptins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: C106628:KISS1 protein, human; D059648:Kisspeptins