Abstract
To analyze endocan-1, a biomarker of vascular endothelial related pathologies, and the placental growth factor (PlGF), an angiogenic factor and a placental dysfunction marker in patients with preeclampsia (PE). Case-control study conducted at Hospital São Lucas, in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Endocan-1 and PlGF levels were quantified in the maternal plasma using the MagPlexTH-C microsphere system (MAGPIX System, Luminex, Austin, Texas, US) and evaluated through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and adjusted by body mass index (BMI), gestational age and maternal age. To estimate the difference between the groups, the mean ratio (MR) and the 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated. The Pearson correlation test was used to establish any association between endocan-1 and PlGF levels. The null hypothesis was rejected when p < 0.05. The group of patients was composed by normotensive (n = 67) patients and patients with PE (n = 50). A negative correlation between endocan-1 and the PlGF was noted in the entire normotensive group (linear correlation coefficient [r] = -0.605; p < 0.001), as well as in the PE group (r = -0.545; p < 0.001). Endocan-1 levels are increased in patients with PE, and are inversely correlated with PlGF levels. We suggest that it is important to analyze angiogenic and proinflammatory molecules concomitantly in women with PE to better understand the pathophysiology of the disease. Both molecules are strong candidates for PE biomarkers, and future studies will examine any mechanisms connecting these factors in PE.
Highlights
Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the 3 major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in the world, affecting 2 to 8% of all pregnancies.[1]
Regarding the association of endocan-1 with PE, our group recently published a study that demonstrated a significant increase in endocan-1 levels in the maternal plasma of women with preeclampsia;[23] subsequently, Chang et al.[24] demonstrated the same association in the placental tissue, and Cakmak et al[25] associated higher serum endocan concentrations with the severity of the disease
At the moment of the diagnosis of PE, 21 patients were preterm (10 with gestational age (GA) < 34 weeks) and 20 patients were diagnosed with severe PE due to systolic blood pressure ! 160 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ! 110 mm Hg
Summary
Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the 3 major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in the world, affecting 2 to 8% of all pregnancies.[1]. The endocan-1 molecule is a soluble proteoglycan expressed in endothelial cells. This molecule has been studied in experimental models as well as in vivo, and studies have shown that it is a possible marker and predictor of many diseases[9,10,11] associated with the vascular endothelium.[9,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21] endocan-1 appears to play a key role in tumor progression and in the regulation of the inflammatory process.[22]
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