VEGF mRNA is unaltered in decidual and placental tissues in preeclampsia at delivery

Background. VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is a growth factor wh ich is central in blood vessel formation. We wanted to determine whether th e mRNA levels of VEGF are altered in preeclampsia in decidual and placental tissues compared to control pregnancies. Methods. Decidua basalis was obtained by vacuum aspiration during cesarean section in 25 preeclamptic and 19 uneventful pregnancies. Placental biopsie s were taken immediately after delivery. Relative mRNA levels of VEGF were quantified and compared to those of the housekeeping gene beta -actin. Results. No statistically significant differences in VEGF mRNA levels were found between the preeclampsia and the control group for either the decidua l or placental tissues. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between VEGF mRNA levels in the preeclamptic and control group with respect to gestational age of the women. Conclusions. This study provides no evidence of abnormal VEGF expression at delivery in decidua basalis or placenta in pregnancies complicated by pree clampsia.