title: Increased secretory sphingomyelinase activity in the first trimester of pregnancy in women later developing preeclampsia: a nested case-control study.
abstract: The pathogenic basis of abnormal placentation and dysfunction in preeclampsia (PE) is highly complex and incompletely understood. Secretory sphyngomyelinase activity (S-ASM) was analyzed in plasma samples from 158 pregnant women developing PE and 112 healthy pregnant controls. Serum PlGF, sFlt-1, s-Endoglin and sVCAM were measured. Results showed S-ASM activity to be higher in women who later developed PE than in those with uncomplicated pregnancies (40.6% and 28.8% higher in the late- and early-onset groups, respectively). Plasma S-ASM activity correlated significantly with circulating markers of endothelial damage in the late-PE group (endoglin and sVCAM-1), with plasma cholesterol and total lipid levels. However, these significant associations were not observed in the early-PE or control groups. This work provides the first evidence of significantly elevated circulating S-ASM activity in the first trimester of pregnancy in women who go on to develop PE; thus, it may be deduced that the circulating form of ASM is biologically active in PE and could contribute to promoting endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular programming. Plasma S-ASM measurement may have clinical relevance as a further potential biomarker contributing to the earliest identification of women at risk of developing preeclampsia.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4942-9249
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Sureda
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crovetto
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Triunfo
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crispi
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Llurba
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gratacós
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Figueras
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Domínguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D008055:Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C098069:PIGF protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase