[Maternal serum level of adiponectin and expression of adiponectin mRNA in subcutaneous and omental adipose tissues in women with preeclampsia].

OBJECTIVE

To determine the expression of adiponectin mRNA in omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues and serum levels of adiponectin in pregnant women complicated with pre-eclampsia (PE) in order to find out its association with the pathogenesis of PE.

METHODS

The expression of adiponectin mRNA in omental and subcutaneous adipose tissue of 49 women with severe PE, which were divided into early-onset group (n = 24, presented at <or= 34 weeks of gestation) and late-onset group (n = 25, presented at > 34 weeks of gestation), and 30 healthy pregnant women (control), who presented to Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital for prenatal care from September 2007 to July 2008, were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The maternal serum level of adiponectin was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for all subjects.

RESULTS

(1) The levels of serum adiponectin in the early-onset and late-onset severe PE groups were (5.9 +/- 2.7) and (7.9 +/- 2.8) mg/L, which were significantly lower than that of the control (11.2 +/- 4.2) mg/L, respectively (P < 0.01), and the level in the early-onset group was lower than in the late-onset group (P < 0.05). (2) Among the early-onset, late-onset PE group and the controls, significant difference was found between any two groups of the three in the adiponectin mRNA expression in omental adipose tissue (0.56 +/- 0.17, 0.69 +/- 0.23 and 1.00 +/- 0.22, P < 0.01), but not in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (0.90 +/- 0.19, 0.93 +/- 0.23 and 1.00 +/- 0.16, P > 0.05). (3) The adiponectin mRNA expressions in the subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue were positively correlated with the maternal serum level of adiponectin in all groups (P < 0.05). (4) The omental adiponectin mRNA levels were negatively correlated with maternal serum triglyceride levels in all of the three groups (r = -0.610, -0.659, -0.446, respectively, and all P < 0.05). Negative correlation was also found between the omental adiponectin mRNA level and the prepregnant body mass index in the control group (r = -0.436, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Decreased maternal serum adiponectin level may be involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and also may contribute to the reduced expression of adiponectin in the omental adipose tissue.