Reductions of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor concentrations in severe preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma concentrat ions of vascular endothelial growth-factor and placental growth factor are altered in women with severe preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a case-control study to compare plasma concentra tions of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor bet ween women with severe preeclampsia and normotensive women admitted for del ivery. Twenty-one women with severe preeclampsia were matched for gestation al age and ethnicity with 21 normotensive women. Vascular endothelial growt h factor and placental growth factor concentrations were measured with a sp ecific antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Women with severe preeclampsia demonstrated significantly lower pl asma concentrations of both vascular endothelial growth factor (6.36 +/- 3. 96 pg/mL vs 18.65 +/- 5.98 pg/mL; P <.0001) and placental growth factor (13 8 +/- 119 pg/mL vs 531 +/- 340 pg/mL; P < .0001) than did women with normot ensive pregnancy. Logistic regression analysis showed an independent associ ation between plasma vascular endothelial growth factor concentration and p lasma placental growth factor concentration and preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: Patients with severe preeclampsia had decreased maternal serum concentrations of both vascular endothelial growth factor and placental gro wth factor.