Angiogenic Growth Factors and Their Receptors in First-Trimester Human Decidua of Pregnancies Further Complicated By Preeclampsia or Fetal Growth Restriction

Abstract

Disturbances in decidual and placental vascular development may play a role in the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications. This study focused on the role of angiogenic factors in the first trimester in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE) and/or fetal growth restriction (FGR). First-trimester decidua was obtained during chorionic villous sampling.The expression of the angiogenic factors was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and related to the pregnancy outcome. First-trimester decidua expressed all angiogenic factors.The differential expression of angiogenic factors appeared to be more prominent in FGR than in PE. These first-trimester samples provided a unique opportunity to obtain information regarding the onset of PE and FGR. First-trimester changes in angiogenic factor expression may well occur as a compensatory mechanism. This, in turn, may unintentionally set the stage for increased angiogenesis and altered decidual/placental vascular adaptation, which may be part of the pathogenesis of PE and/or FGR.