title: Strong inhibitory effect of pre-eclampsia serum on angiogenesis detected in vitro by human cell-based angiogenesis tests.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore in vitro angiogenic properties of maternal and umbilical cord blood sera from women with symptomatic pre-eclampsia in comparison with sera from women with normotensive pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternal and umbilical blood serum samples were collected from eleven primiparous women with pre-eclampsia and ten healthy gestational-age-matched primiparous controls. The samples were tested for tubule formation in two different types of in vitro angiogenesis tests. The first test (fibroblast-HUVEC) showed effects on angiogenesis and the second test (hASC-HUVEC), in addition to angiogenesis, also showed effects on vasculogenesis. The pro-angiogenic and inhibitory properties of the samples were microscopically quantified after immunostaining tubular structures, using markers for von Willebrand factor (vWf) and collagen IV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum samples from pre-eclamptic women inhibited tubule formation in both models, while those from normal pregnancy didn't. Umbilical blood samples were inhibitory both after pre-eclampsia and normal pregnancy. In the fibroblast-HUVEC model the inhibition was stronger after preeclampsia pregnancy, and the difference between groups was statistically significant. In the pre-eclampsia group a correlation between the inhibitory effect of umbilical blood and birth weight adjusted to gestational age was found. No clear correlation between sera from pregnant women and corresponding umbilical sera was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strong inhibitory effect of maternal serum samples on tubule formation reflects the anti-angiogenic state that is present in pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tampere University Central Hospital, Tampere, Finland. Electronic address: anita.virtanen@fimnet.fi.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.affiliation: FICAM, Finnish Centre for Alternative Methods, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toimela
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tampere University Central Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tihtonen
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland; Science Center, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Jertta-Riina
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sarkanen
authors.affiliation: FICAM, Finnish Centre for Alternative Methods, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Outi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Huttala
authors.affiliation: FICAM, Finnish Centre for Alternative Methods, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tampere University Central Hospital, Tampere, Finland; School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uotila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D001724:Birth Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D044967:Serum; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors
keywords: Angiogenic factors; Anti-angiogenic factors; In vitro angiogenesis; Inhibition of angiogenesis; Pre-eclampsia