[Vasohibin and VEGF protein levels in placentae from pregnancies complicated by severe pre-eclampsia]

To study the expression of vasohibin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in placentae from normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by severe pre-eclampsia.

Placental tissues were obtained by caesarean section for 30 cases of pregnancy with severe pre-eclampsia and 30 cases of matched normal pregnancies. Protein levels of vasohibin and VEGF in placental tissue were quantified by Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the localization of the vasohibin protein in placental tissue.

The mean value of vasohibin in normal pregnant women was 0.91 +/- 0.12, and in women with severe pre-eclampsia was 0.58 +/- 0.09. These values were statistically different between the two groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, VEGF expression was also significantly reduced in the patients compared with the controls (0.65 +/- 0.20 vs. 0.24 +/- 0.13, P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between vasohibin and VEGF levels (r = 0.262, P < 0.05). Immunolocalization of vasohibin in normal term villous placenta was specifically expressed in the vascular endothelial cells, and no positive staining of other cell types such as syncytiotrophoblast cells, cytotrophoblast cells, and chorionic villi interstitial cells was found.

These results suggest that reduced vasohibin and VEGF expression may be responsible, at least in part, for the impaired vascular development which occurs in the pre-eclampsia.