title: Alterations of angiopoietin-related growth factor (Angptl6) during pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to clarify the alterations of angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF, also known as Angptl6/ARP5) in the serum of normally pregnant women and pre-eclamptic women and to explore the role of AGF in pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty healthy non-pregnant women, 118 normally pregnant women (30 at 6-12 gestational weeks, 30 at 13-28 weeks and 58 at 29-40 weeks, respectively) and 46 pre-eclamptic women were recruited. Fasting blood samples were obtained from all subjects. Fifteen women of healthy pregnant women provided their blood samples at 24 and 48 h after cesarean section, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the serum level of AGF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of AGF were significantly higher in normally pregnant women than non-pregnant women (P < 0.001 of all). Although serum AGF of the first trimester was significantly higher than that of the second trimester (P = 0.033), there were no significant differences of serum AGF in the comparison between the first and third trimester (P = 0.064) and between the second and third trimester (P = 0.546). Serum AGF significantly decreased after delivery (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in AGF of maternal serum between pre-eclamptic women and normally pregnant control women (P = 0.285). There were no significant differences in circulating AGF concentration between non-pregnant women and postpartum groups (P = 0.052 for 24 h after delivery and P = 0.083 for 48 h after delivery).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum level of AGF was elevated in normal pregnancy compared with non-pregnant women, suggesting that placenta is an important source of circulating AGF during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Shaoxing Women and Children's Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Guiyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yangyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Lingxiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000091308:Angiopoietin-Like Protein 6; D000075802:Angiopoietin-like Proteins; D042682:Angiopoietins / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C477601:ANGPTL6 protein, human; D000091308:Angiopoietin-Like Protein 6; D000075802:Angiopoietin-like Proteins; D042682:Angiopoietins; D015415:Biomarkers