PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR OF UROKINASE-TYPE AND ITS INHIBITOR OF PLACENTAL TYPE IN HYPERTENSIVE PREGNANCIES AND IN INTRAUTERINE GROWTH-RETARDATION - POSSIBLE MARKERS OF PLACENTAL FUNCTION

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to study the plasma concentrations of the p lasminogen activator of urokinase type and its specific inhibitor of p lacental type in pregnancies complicated by hypertension or fetal grow th retardation. STUDY DESIGN: Consecutive patients with pregnancy-indu ced hypertension (n = 17), mild preeclampsia (n = 17), severe preeclam psia (n = 19), and intrauterine growth retardation (n = 19) were studi ed. Blood samples were obtained just before delivery (mean 2 days). Wo men with normal pregnancies (n = 40), longitudinally followed between the tenth and fortieth gestational weeks, served as a control group. R ESULTS: The plasma concentrations of the urokinase type antigen were s ignificantly lower in women with severe preeclampsia or intrauterine g rowth retardation than those in women with normal pregnancies (p < 0.0 01). In all four groups with complicated pregnancies the antigen conce ntrations of the urokinase type and its inhibitor were significantly c orrelated with both placental weight and birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: Th e plasma concentration of the urokinase type antigen would appear to r eflect placental function, and both the antigen and its inhibitor conc entrations are correlated with placental and fetal growth.