Elevated circulating concentrations of platelet activating factor in preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether any association e xists between preeclampsia and circulating platelet activating factor level s. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional observational study of circula ting platelet activating factor concentrations in nonpregnant women, normot ensive pregnant women in the third trimester, women with preeclampsia in th e third trimester, and normotensive men. Platelet activating factor concent rations were measured with a commercially available platelet activating fac tor-specific radioimmunoassay (NEN Life Science Products, Inc, Boston, Mass ). The primary outcome measure was the difference in mean platelet activati ng factor concentrations among the 4 study groups. Preeclampsia was determi ned according to the criteria of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Data were analyzed with the Student t test, the chi (2) test , the Fisher exact test, analysis of variance, and the Tukey test for pairw ise multiple comparisons, with significance established at P < .05. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) circulating concentration of platelet activating factor was significantly higher in the group with preeclampsia (338.1 +/- 2 6.9 ng/mL) than in either the normotensive pregnant group (217.9 +/- 25.9 n g/mL; P < .05) or the nonpregnant female group (237.9 +/- 20.9 ng/mL; P < . 05). The 2 pregnant groups were similar with respect to selected demographi c characteristics and gestational age at time of collection. There were no significant differences in the mean platelet activating factor concentratio ns between the group with preeclampsia and the normotensive male group or b etween the normotensive pregnant female group and the nonpregnant female gr oup. CONCLUSION: Circulating platelet activating factor concentrations were incr eased in women with pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia with respect to those in normotensive pregnant women and normotensive nonpregnant women. P latelet activating factor may therefore serve as a marker for the risk of p reeclampsia.