[Investigation of adhesion molecules (sVCAM-1) in serum of nonpregnant women, normotensive pregnant women and in patients with pregnancy complications].

OBJECTIVE

An increased expression of endothelial adhesion molecules combined with neutrophil activation in the placental bed is to be assumed aetiopathogenetically relevant in preeclampsia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ranges of sVCAM-1 serum concentrations of both control persons (29 nonpregnant and 25 normotensive pregnant women) and patients with different complications of pregnancy (HELLP-syndrome n = 10, preeclampsia n = 12, gestational hypertension n = 38, diabetes n = 24, growth retardation n = 21) were determined by means of ELISA. Frozen placental samples of 5 normotensive and 10 hypertensive pregnant women were investigated immunhistochemically to study the distribution of VCAM-1 in the placenta.

RESULTS

Significantly elevated sVCAM-1 serum levels (p < 0.05) were identified in samples of patients with HELLP syndrome, preeclampsia, diabetes and gestational hypertension compared with serum levels of normotensive pregnant women. The cut-off level (97.5% percentile of normotensive serum levels) was calculated (775 ng/ml). VCAM-1 was localized immunhistochemically at capillaries of villi and main villi.

CONCLUSIONS

There are closed relations between elevated serum levels of sVCAM-1 during pregnancy and diseases with vasculopathies of placental bed.