Lifeng Cui1, Chang Shu2, Zitao Liu3, Weihua Tong4, Miao Cui5, Chengguo Wei6, Jian Jenny Tang7, Xiufen Liu8, Jinghai Hu9, Jing Jiang10, Jin He11, David Y Zhang5, Fei Ye12, Yulin Li13. 1. Department of Pathology, College of Basic Medical Sciences of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. 2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. Electronic address: shu_chang@jlu.edu.cn. 3. New Hope Fertility Center, New York, NY 10019, USA. 4. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. 5. Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. 6. Department of Medicine Bioinformatics Core, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. 7. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. 8. Department of Ophthalmology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. 9. Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. 10. Division of Clinical Epidemiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China. 11. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. 12. Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA. Electronic address: fei.ye56@yahoo.com. 13. Department of Pathology, College of Basic Medical Sciences of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China. Electronic address: lylchina78@yahoo.com.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate soluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR), soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (sFlt-1), soluble endoglin (sEndoglin) and placenta growth factor (PLGF) concentrations in normotensive, preterm and term preeclamptic pregnancies' serum and thus to specify the clinical utility of these biochemical markers in monitoring severity and intrauterine growth retardation of preterm preeclampsia. 172 pregnant women were divided into the following groups: preterm preeclampsia, preterm control, term preeclampsia and term control. Preterm preeclampsia patients were stratified with severe feature (n = 50) and without severe feature (n = 22). sEGFR, sEndoglin and PLGF were assessed using Luminex multiplex immunoassay, whilesFlt-1 was assessed using ELISA. sEGFR was significantly lower in preterm preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.001) and mildly lower in term preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.01). On contrary, sFlt-1 was significantly higher in preterm preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.001) and mildly higher in term preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.01). sFlt-1, sFlt-1/sEGFR and sFlt-1/PLGF were positively correlated with the severity of preterm preeclampsia (P < 0.001, R value ≥ 0.6), especially sFlt-1/sEGFR had the highest R value (R value = 0.711) among them. Furthermore, sEndoglin and the ratio of sEndoglin/sEGFR were associated with neonatal birth weight small for gestational age (SGA, n = 25) in preterm preeclampsia group. CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of sFlt-1/sEGFR could be used as a novel candidate biochemical marker in monitoring the severity of preterm preeclampsia. sEndoglin and sEGFR may be involved in the pathogenesis of SGA in preterm preelampsia.
The objective of this study was to investigate soluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR), soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (sFlt-1), soluble endoglin (sEndoglin) and placenta growth factor (PLGF) concentrations in normotensive, preterm and term preeclamptic pregnancies' serum and thus to specify the clinical utility of these biochemical markers in monitoring severity and intrauterine growth retardation of preterm preeclampsia. 172 pregnant women were divided into the following groups: preterm preeclampsia, preterm control, term preeclampsia and term control. Preterm preeclampsiapatients were stratified with severe feature (n = 50) and without severe feature (n = 22). sEGFR, sEndoglin and PLGF were assessed using Luminex multiplex immunoassay, whilesFlt-1 was assessed using ELISA. sEGFR was significantly lower in preterm preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.001) and mildly lower in term preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.01). On contrary, sFlt-1 was significantly higher in preterm preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.001) and mildly higher in term preeclampsia than matched control (p < 0.01). sFlt-1, sFlt-1/sEGFR and sFlt-1/PLGF were positively correlated with the severity of preterm preeclampsia (P < 0.001, R value ≥ 0.6), especially sFlt-1/sEGFR had the highest R value (R value = 0.711) among them. Furthermore, sEndoglin and the ratio of sEndoglin/sEGFR were associated with neonatal birth weight small for gestational age (SGA, n = 25) in preterm preeclampsia group. CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of sFlt-1/sEGFR could be used as a novel candidate biochemical marker in monitoring the severity of preterm preeclampsia. sEndoglin and sEGFR may be involved in the pathogenesis of SGA in preterm preelampsia.