Hypoadiponectinemia and circulating angiogenic factors in overweight patients complicated with pre-eclampsia

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2006-12, Vol.195 (6), p.1687-1692
• Main Authors: Suwaki, Naoko, Masuyama, Hisashi, Nakatsukasa, Hideki, Masumoto, Akio, Sumida, Yumi, Takamoto, Norio, Hiramatrsu, Yuji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adiponectin; Adiponectin - blood; Adult; Angiogenic factor; Angiogenic Proteins - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases of mother, fetus and pregnancy; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Obesity; Overweight; Placenta Growth Factor; Pre-eclampsia; Pre-Eclampsia - blood; Pre-Eclampsia - pathology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Proteins - blood; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 - blood
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2006.04.003

Obesity is a risk factor for pre-eclampsia, and adiponectin is an important adipocyte-derived hormone that might protect the endothelium. Recent reports have underlined importance of circulating angiogenic factors for pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia. Here we examined whether adiponectin in conjunction with angiogenic factors plays some roles in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia. We measured serum concentrations of adiponectin and angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor, placental growth factor, and the soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, soluble fms-like tyrosine Kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and soluble fetal liver kinase 1 (sFlk-1), in women with pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women. We also investigated the differences of these factors in overweight and normal-weight patients with pre-eclampsia. Significant correlations were found among the circulating adiponectin and angiogenic factors placental growth factor ( R = 0.772, P = .0012) and sFlt-1 ( R = 0.787, P = .0005); while, no correlation was found between adiponectin and sFlk-1 ( R = 0.3, P = .3434) in patients with pre-eclampsia. Overweight patients with pre-eclampsia showed significantly lower adiponectin levels and a mild imbalance of circulating angiogenic factors, compared with normal-weight patients with pre-eclampsia. Overweight women with pre-eclampsia appeared to have lower levels of adiponectin and sFlt1 and higher levels of placental growth factor than women with pre-eclampsia who were of normal weight. These results suggest that hypoadiponectinemia might be involved in the pathophysiology of overweight patients with pre-eclampsia.