AIMS: To evaluate the role of systemic angiopoietic factors in the progression of diabetic retinopathy during pregnancy. METHODS: In a prospective study of 26 pregnant women with diabetes and eight non-diabetic pregnant women, retinopathy was graded from fundus photographs. Plasma levels of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, human vascular endothelial growth factor A (hVEGF-A), and total soluble receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor (sVEGF) receptor-1 were measured during the first and third trimester and 3 months postpartum. RESULTS: In diabetic women, levels of angiopoietin-2 were 26.5 ng/ml (12.1-47.7) (median and range) during the first trimester, 2.9 ng/ml (0.6-3.5) during the third trimester, and 0.5 ng/ml (0.3-0.7) 3 months postpartum, compared with 44.3 (38.3-61.9), 5.7 (3.1-8.4) and 0.9 (0.6-4.9) ng/ml, respectively, in non-diabetic women (P = 0.002 between groups). Levels of angiopoietin-1 and sVEGF receptor-1 did not differ between the groups. Postpartum hVEGF-A levels were lowest in women with progression of retinopathy. In logistic regression analyses, progression of retinopathy during pregnancy was not explained by the levels of the angiopoietic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The circulating levels of angiopoietic factors in pregnant diabetic women were either lower than (Ang-2) or similar to (Ang-1, hVEGF-A, VEGFR-1) those levels observed in non-diabetic pregnant women. The levels of angiopoietic factors measured here appear not to be connected with the progression of retinopathy during pregnancy.
AIMS: To evaluate the role of systemic angiopoietic factors in the progression of diabetic retinopathy during pregnancy. METHODS: In a prospective study of 26 pregnant women with diabetes and eight non-diabetic pregnant women, retinopathy was graded from fundus photographs. Plasma levels of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, humanvascular endothelial growth factor A (hVEGF-A), and total soluble receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor (sVEGF) receptor-1 were measured during the first and third trimester and 3 months postpartum. RESULTS: In diabeticwomen, levels of angiopoietin-2 were 26.5 ng/ml (12.1-47.7) (median and range) during the first trimester, 2.9 ng/ml (0.6-3.5) during the third trimester, and 0.5 ng/ml (0.3-0.7) 3 months postpartum, compared with 44.3 (38.3-61.9), 5.7 (3.1-8.4) and 0.9 (0.6-4.9) ng/ml, respectively, in non-diabeticwomen (P = 0.002 between groups). Levels of angiopoietin-1 and sVEGF receptor-1 did not differ between the groups. Postpartum hVEGF-A levels were lowest in women with progression of retinopathy. In logistic regression analyses, progression of retinopathy during pregnancy was not explained by the levels of the angiopoietic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The circulating levels of angiopoietic factors in pregnant diabeticwomen were either lower than (Ang-2) or similar to (Ang-1, hVEGF-A, VEGFR-1) those levels observed in non-diabetic pregnant women. The levels of angiopoietic factors measured here appear not to be connected with the progression of retinopathy during pregnancy.
Authors: Amanda K Hurliman; Leon Speroff; Richard L Stouffer; Phillip E Patton; Annette Lee; Theodore A Molskness Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2009-05-23 Impact factor: 7.329