Concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor C and D in amniotic fluid and maternal plasma

Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and VEGF-D promote both endothelial and lymphatic vascularization during embryonic development. We studied their presence in amniotic fluid (AF) and maternal plasma during pregnancy.

Descriptive study. Setting. University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Samples. AF at 14-20 weeks (n=20) and 38-41 weeks' of gestation (n=20), serial plasma samples (n=38) from 16 healthy pregnant women during 8-40 weeks of pregnancy, and plasma from 15 non-pregnant controls.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Main outcome measures. Concentrations of VEGF-C and -D in AF and maternal plasma.

VEGF-C concentrations in AF decrease as pregnancy advances (p=0.002) and are about 10-fold lower than in plasma at the corresponding gestational age (p=0.001). Plasma VEGF-C concentrations are higher in the first trimester (p=0.014) and the early second trimester (p=0.016) than in non-pregnant women. VEGF-D is not detectable in AF, but in plasma its concentrations become higher at term compared with non-pregnant women (p=0.039).

VEGF-C and -D are present in high concentrations in maternal plasma, while only VEGF-C can be detected in AF.