An imbalance between angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors precedes fetal death in a subset of patients: results of a longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Women with a fetal death at the time of diagnosis have higher maternal plasma concentrations of the anti-angiogenic factor, soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (sVEGFR)-1, than women with a normal pregnancy. An important question is whether these changes are the cause or consequence of fetal death. To address this issue, we conducted a longitudinal study and measured the maternal plasma concentrations of selective angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors before the diagnosis of a fetal death. The anti-angiogenic factors studied were sVEGFR-1 and soluble endoglin (sEng), and the angiogenic factor, placental growth factor (PlGF).

Methods

This retrospective longitudinal nested case-control study included 143 singleton pregnancies in the following groups:

SUBMITTER: Romero R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3023956 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature