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Plasma adenosine levels and P-selectin expression on platelets in preeclampsia
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. yoshi-l@nms.ac.jp
Objective:
To measure the correlation of plasma adenosine levels with platelet activation in women with preeclampsia.
Methods:
Plasma adenosine concentration and expression of P-selectin, a marker for platelet activation, were measured in 18 normal pregnant women and 18 preeclamptic women. The effect of 8-sulfophenyltheophylline, an adenosine receptor blocker, on expression of P-selectin on platelets also was measured.
Results:
Plasma adenosine level averaged 0.77 +/- 0.11 microM (standard error of the mean [SEM]) in women with preeclampsia, significantly higher than the mean level of 0.47 +/- 0.08 microM in women with normal pregnancies (P <.05). Expression of P-selectin on platelets averaged 7.8 +/- 1.2% in women with preeclampsia, also significantly higher than the mean level of 4.7 +/- 0.7% in normal pregnancy (P <.05). Adenosine receptor blockade significantly increased expression of P-selectin on platelets in women with preeclampsia by 26% (P <.05), which was significantly higher than the 13% increase of activation in those with normal pregnancies (P <.05).
Conclusion:
Adenosine is an established platelet activation suppressor. Increased plasma levels of adenosine in preeclampsia might partially compensate and tend to prevent further excessive platelet activation in women with preeclampsia.