title: Association of angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms and angiogenic factors with preeclampsia in Chinese women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of angiotensinogen (AGT) gene polymorphisms and angiogenic factors with preeclampsia (PE) in Chinese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study on Chinese women was performed. Detection of the M235T polymorphism of AGT gene was carried out by PCR. Using a χ² test, genotype and allele frequencies were compared in all groups. Maternal serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) at gestation were compared between 92 women with PE and 100 controls by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the controls, the AGT homozygous of TT genotype in PE occurred significantly more frequently and the T allele was observed to occur more frequently than the M allele (p < 0.05). sFlt1 was present in high quantities in the serum of women with PE and was associated with low levels of free VEGF and PlGF (p < 0.05). Plasma sFlt1 levels are higher in PE patients with TT heterozygotes compared with MM homozygotes, but PIGF is lower (p < 0.05). Plasma VEGF concentrations showed no significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that AGT M235T polymorphism is associated with PE in Chinese women. Furthermore, the gene polymorphism of the components of the renin-angiotensin system may contribute to the concentration alterations of sFlt1, VEGF, and PlGF in maternal serum, which causes disordered vasculogenesis contributing to PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Command, PR China. chengwensong@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Chengwen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Shouzhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Junhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D000808:Angiotensinogen / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000808:Angiotensinogen; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D004247:DNA; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1