title: Assessment of angiogenesis modulators in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the serum concentration of factors associated with placental angiogenesis in pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective, cross-sectional, case-control study in which the pro-angiogenic factors PlGF, VEGF and IL-10, and the anti-angiogenic factors IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α of 55 pregnant women (31 with pre-eclampsia-PE and 24 normotensive), with gestational age ≥20 weeks, were measured in maternal blood through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparison between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum PIGF was reduced in the group of pregnant women with PE when compared with the normotensive women (493.2 ± 55.1 pg/mL vs. 4.4 ± 26.5 pg/mL; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in PlGF levels in the pre-eclamptic pregnant women in relation to gestational age or proteinuria levels (p > 0.05). The serum levels of VEGF, IL-17, IL-10 and TNF-α were lower in the pregnant women with PE when compared with their normotensive peers, while the IL-6 levels were higher; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum PlGF levels were reduced in the pregnant women with PE and were unrelated to disease severity. Serum levels of VEGF, IL-17, IL-10 and TNF-α were reduced in the pre-eclamptic pregnant women when compared with their normotensive peers, without statistically significant differences.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Guilhermo Justino
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Mundim
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Carvalho
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Paschoini
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), Rua Belchior de Azevedo, 156 apto. 111 Torre Vitoria, São Paulo, SP, 05083-030, Brazil. araujojred@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Araujo Júnior
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Fabricio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Da Silva Costa
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Immunology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Virmondes
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodrigues Júnior
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D043924:Angiogenesis Modulating Agents / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D043924:Angiogenesis Modulating Agents; C508609:IL10 protein, human; C508717:IL17A protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor
keywords: Angiogenesis; Cytokines; Placenta; Pre-eclampsia