title: Association between increased FVIIa-antithrombin complex/FVIIa ratio and pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Activated factor VII-antithrombin (FVIIa-AT) complexes can be used to reflect the degree of intravascular exposure of tissue factor (TF). The aim of the present case-control study was to evaluate FVIIa-AT plasma levels during normal pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and five pregnant women were enrolled and namely n = 30 in the first (T1), n = 30 in the second (T2), n = 30 in the third (T3) trimester of pregnancy and n = 15 with PE. FVIIa-AT complexes were determined using a specific ELISA (Diagnostica Stago, Asnieres, France).
  
  
  RESULTS
  FVIIa-AT complexes were significantly higher in pregnant (119 ± 24 pM) than in healthy (102 ± 12 pM, p = 0.001) women. No difference in FVIIa-AT levels between T3 women and with PE was observed. Interestingly, women with PE had significantly higher FVIIa-AT/FVIIa ratio than women during T3 (2.01 ± 0.44 versus 1.50 ± 0.29, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FVIIa-AT complexes plasma levels differed significantly between normal pregnancy and non-pregnant women. Moreover, FVIIa-AT/FVIIa ratio was higher in patients with PE than in normal pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiologic, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua Medical School, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spiezia
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Visentin
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Radu
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bon
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Woodhams
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cosmi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simioni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015942:Factor VIIa / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000991:Antithrombins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D015942:Factor VIIa