The Relationship of Longitudinal Levels of Complement Bb During Pregnancy with Preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the understudied relationship between complement Bb during pregnancy in subjects with preeclampsia compared with normotensive controls.


METHODS
Nested case-control study.


RESULTS
Average Bb levels significantly decreased over time in pregnancy [weekly slope (S.E.): -0.0094 (0.0005), P < 0.01]. Cross-sectionally, at less than 10 weeks, Bb levels decreased with increasing gestational age in women who remained normotensive [weekly slope (S.E.): -0.007 (0.02) and for women who developed preeclampsia (weekly slope (S.E.): -0.059 (0.03) P = 0.12]. Among women who developed preeclampsia, Bb levels were greatest when samples were drawn in the gestational window of 15-20 weeks [(weekly slope (S.E.): 0.06 (0.02)], while levels among normotensive women were inversely related with gestational age [weekly slope (S.E.): -0.02 (0.01)]. The differences in slopes between cases and controls between 10 and 21 weeks' gestation were statistically significant (P = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest dysregulation of Bb activation between 10 and 20 weeks' gestation in women who develop preeclampsia.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
Anne M
AM
Lynch
Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA.
Brandie D
BD
Wagner
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA.
Patricia C
PC
Giclas
Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA.
Nancy A
NA
West
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
Ronald S
RS
Gibbs
Department of Medicine and Immunology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
V Michael
VM
Holers
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D011415:Complement Factor B / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
D011415:Complement Factor B
Complement Bb; gestational age; preeclampsia