Preeclampsia biomarkers in fetal circulation : Oxidative stress, inflammation, homocysteine and angiogenic factors
Abstract
Preeclampsia is complicating 3.7 % of pregnancies, and is defined by hypertension and proteinuria, with signs of endothelial dysfunction, probably caused by placentally derived factors. The fetal consequences of preeclampsia include intrauterine growth restriction and premature delivery. Preeclampsia is associated with increased maternal oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as elevated circulating concentrations of homocysteine and the anti-angiogenic factor sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1). This study further explores these biomarkers of preeclampsia in the fetal circulation at delivery.Maternal and fetal blood samples were obtained at cesarean section from preeclamptic and normal pregnancies at Ulleval University Hospital. No evidence of increased oxidative stress or inflammation was found in the fetal circulation in infants of preeclamptic mothers as compared to controls. Increased maternal concentration of homocysteine and sFlt-1 in preeclampsia was reflected in the fetal circulation, and both biomarkers are associated with development of endothelial dysfunction.
List of papers
Paper I: Kristin Braekke, Mette Ree Holthe, Nina Kittelsen Harsem, Magne Kristoffer Fagerhol, Anne Cathrine Staff. Calprotectin, a marker of inflammation, is elevated in the maternal but not in the fetal circulationin preeclampsia. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2005.193: 227-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2004.11.055 |
Paper II: Kristin Braekke, Nina Kittelsen Harsem, Anne Cathrine Staff. Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in fetal circulation in preeclampsia. Pediatric Research 2006. 60: 560-564. https://doi.org/10.1203/01.pdr.0000242299.01219.6a |
Paper III: Anne Cathrine Staff, Kristin Braekke, Nina Kittelsen Harsem, Torstein Lyberg, Mette Ree Holthe. Circulating concentrations of sFlt1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase1) in fetal and maternal serum during preeclampsia. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 2005.122: 33-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2004.11.015 |
Paper IV: Kristin Braekke, Per Magne Ueland, Nina Kittelsen Harsem, Anette Karlsen, Rune Blomhoff, Anne Cathrine Staff. Homocysteine, cysteine and related metabolites in maternal and fetal plasma in preeclampsia. 1: Pediatr Res. 2007 Jul 6; [Epub ahead of print]. https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e318123fba2 |