Aberrant processing of plasma vitronectin and high-molecular-weight kininogen precedes the onset of preeclampsia
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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas
Published on: January 26, 2024
Marion Blumenstein1, Roneel Prakash, Garth J S Cooper
1School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. m.blumenstein@auckland.ac.nz
Abstract:
To date, there is no reliable test to identify women in early pregnancy at risk of developing preeclampsia. Difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) identified the plasma proteins vitronectin (VN) and high-molecular-weight kininogen (HK) in association with preeclampsia. In a longitudinal proteomics study, the plasma of preeclamptic patients (n = 6) was compared to healthy control participants (n = 6) before the onset of preeclampsia (week 20) and at the time of presentation with clinical disease (weeks 33-36). The 75-kd single-chain VN molecule increased 1.6- to 1.9-fold in preeclampsia, whereas the 65-kd moiety of the 2-chain VN molecule decreased 1.5- to 1.7-fold compared to healthy controls (P < .05). Immunoblots revealed differences in proteolytic processing of VN and/or HK in women who develop preeclampsia or preeclampsia further complicated by small-for-gestational-age. Vitronectin and HK may prove to be useful as early markers of fibrinolytic activity and neutrophil activation, which are known to be associated with preeclampsia.
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