Selective deficit of angiogenic growth factors characterises pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia

Objective To compare serum levels of angiogenic growth factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PlGF) and angiogenin in pre-eclamptic women and matched controls. Design Retrospective analysis of -70 degrees C stored serum of women who developed pre-eclampsia and matched controls. Setting Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, St Elisabeth Hospital, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Sample Thirty women with pre-eclampsia and 30 normotensive, controls matched for age and gestation. Results VEGF and PlGF serum levels were significantly lower in pre-eclamptic pregnancies, compared with controls (VEGF 0.31 +/- 1.20 vs 18.30 +/- 24.97 pg/mL, P = 0.0004; PlGF 54.19 +/- 32.05 vs 497.95 +/- 340.51 pg/mL, P < 0.0001). Matched couple analysis showed VEGF serum concentrations to be lower in the majority of pre-eclamptic women and PlGF concentrations to be lower in all pre-eclamptic women. Angiogenin serum levels showed no statistical significant difference between pre-eclamptic pregnancies and controls (523.68 +/- 367.55 vs 670.41 +/- 251.54 ng/mL, P = 0.058), with matched couple analysis showing no clear pattern. Conclusions Decreased serum levels of VEGF and PlGF characterise, and therefore seem to be of importance during (the development of), pre-eclampsia. This selective deficit of angiogenic growth factors might in part explain the shallow placentation found in this pregnancy complication.