title: Biomarkers in pre-eclampsia: a novel approach to early detection of the disease.
abstract: Pre-eclampsia is a unique disorder of human pregnancy with a great impact on maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide and especially in developing countries. The aetiology is still unknown and the pathophysiology of the disease is the subject of extensive investigation. Recently, much of the interest of the investigators for the prediction of pre-eclampsia has been aimed at measurable manifestations of abnormal placentation, endothelial dysfunction and feto-maternal unit perfusion. Biomarkers constitute a novel approach to an early detection of the disease. Low maternal serum levels of PAPP-A and PP13 early in pregnancy are predictive for emerging pre-eclampsia. On the other hand, increased levels of homocysteine, ADMA, sEng, leptin and sFlt-1 in the 1st trimester, signal the onset of the disease later in pregnancy. After the onset of pre-eclampsia, increased serum levels of PAPP-A, ADMA, homocysteine and sFlt-1 are associated with the severity of the disease. The identification of biomarkers which can contribute to the early detection of pre-eclampsia is essential. It could then be possible to apply better surveillance and treatment protocols in such patients.
authors.affiliation: 4th, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Masoura
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Kalogiannidis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gitas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goutsioulis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koiou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Athanasiadis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vavatsi
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D037161:Galectins / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000032:analysis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D037161:Galectins; C038195:LGALS13 protein, human; D020738:Leptin; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D006710:Homocysteine; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A