Ratio of placental and umbilical cord Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) levels in pregnancies with preeclampsia and its association with maternal variables and fetal outcome.

BACKGROUND

Imbalanced levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) may contribute to adverse perinatal outcomes, such as preeclampsia (PE), due to placental ischemia and endothelial damage.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the ratio between placental and umbilical cord VEGF levels and its association with maternal characteristics and fetal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by PE.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study approved by the Research Ethics Committee (35743614.1.0000.5013) was conducted in 2017 at a university hospital in Maceió, Brazil, involving 100 pregnant women with PE and 50 without (controls). VEGF concentrations in placental and umbilical cord tissue extracts were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v.20.0 (α = 5%).

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed in placental or umbilical cord VEGF levels between groups (p > 0.05). However, placental VEGF levels were significantly associated with Black race (382.4 pg/mL in PE vs 788.2 pg/mL in controls; interaction p = 0.02) and low 5-min Apgar scores (1806.5 pg/mL vs 57.3 pg/mL; interaction p = 0.01). The placental:umbilical cord VEGF ratio was significantly associated with birth weight (interaction p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

The placental:umbilical cord VEGF ratio was associated with birth weight in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. Although preliminary, this finding suggests that VEGF distribution between gestational tissues may play a role in fetal adaptation and warrants further investigation in larger samples.