IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY FOR EVALUATING THE CYTOTOXIC EFFECT OF PREECLAMPTIC SERA ON CULTURED HUMAN ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

The purpose of our study was to determine the potential cytotoxicity o f sera from patients with pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome, by investi gating the influence of these sera on the structural integrity of cult ured human endothelial cells. For this purpose we stimulated human end othelial cells obtained from umbilical veins (HUVEC), over a period of 24 hours with sera of 24 patients with HELLP-Syndrome or pre-eclampsi a. The sera of 12 normotensive pregnant patients and 12 non-pregnant w omen served as controls. For evaluating the viability of endothelial c ells we performed immunofluorescence microscopy using ethidium bromide /acridine orange immunostaining. Considering the fluorescence after st imulation with sera we could not detect any significant differences be tween the study groups. This reflects a similar cytotoxicity on endoth elial cells when stimulated with serum obtained from patients with pre -eclampsia or normotensive controls, respectively. Therefore we conclu de that sera of pre-eclamptic women do not exert a cytotoxic effect on cultured human endothelial cells. This does not support the hypothesi s of an increased endothelial cell damage in preeclampsia.