Short- and Long-Term Changes in Plasma Inflammatory Markers Associated With Preeclampsia

• Published in: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Tex. 1979), 2004-11, Vol.44 (5), p.708-714
• Main Authors: Freeman, Dilys J, McManus, Frances, Brown, Elizabeth Ann, Cherry, Lynne, Norrie, John, Ramsay, Jane E, Clark, Peter, Walker, Isobel D, Sattar, Naveed, Greer, Ian A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Blood and lymphatic vessels; C-Reactive Protein - genetics; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cardiology. Vascular system; Clinical manifestations. Epidemiology. Investigative techniques. Etiology; Diseases of mother, fetus and pregnancy; E-Selectin - blood; E-Selectin - genetics; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - genetics; Interleukin-10 - blood; Interleukin-10 - genetics; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukin-6 - genetics; Medical sciences; Polymorphism, Genetic; Pre-Eclampsia - blood; Pre-Eclampsia - genetics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Time Factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood
• ISSN: 0194-911X; 1524-4563
• DOI: 10.1161/01.HYP.0000143849.67254.ca

Preeclampsia is characterized by hypertension, dyslipidemia, and increased systemic inflammatory response and has been associated with an increased maternal risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Low-grade chronic inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study examined changes in inflammatory markers prospectively during pregnancy, the current inflammatory status of women who had a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia 20 years previously against matched controls, and the association between inflammatory genes and risk of preeclampsia in a case (n=106) control (n=212) study. In control pregnancies (n=34), mean interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels increased 38% (P=0.012) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by 33% (P=0.024) between the first and third trimesters. The mean preeclampsia group IL-10 and TNF-α rose by 43% (P=0.013 and P=0.0065, respectively) from the first to the third trimester. In women with preeclampsia only, plasma IL-6 increased from the first to the third trimester (1.66 [2.04] to 2.94 [2.47] pg/mL; P=0.0004). Twenty years after the index pregnancy, women who had had preeclampsia demonstrated significantly higher IL-6 to IL-10 ratio (3.96 [6.07] versus 2.12 [1.89]; P=0.034) compared with a healthy index pregnancy 20 years previously, that persisted after adjustment for smoking and current body mass index. The IL-1β (C-511T), IL-6 (G-174C), TNF-α (G-308A), E-selectin (S128R), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (K469E), and C-reactive protein (C1059G) polymorphisms were not associated with risk of developing preeclampsia. In conclusion, preeclampsia is associated with short- and long-term changes in inflammatory status.