[Para/endocrine function of the vascular endothelium of healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with preeclampsia and their neonates].

UNLABELLED: Abnormal endocrine/paracrine function of the vascular endothelium seems to be of most important in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The present study aimed to assess plasma concentration of ET-1 and NOx in maternal (M) and umbilical cord blood (UC) in 15 pregnant women with moderately severe preeclampsia (gestosis index 6.1 +/- 0.4), 15 pregnant women with mild preeclampsia (gestosis index 2.3 +/- 0.1) and in 31 healthy pregnant women (in 15 of them elective cesarean section was done). The control group consisted of 10 nonpregnant healthy women (NC). Moderately severe preeclampsia was characterised by a normal or even reduced plasma ET-1 level in maternal (0.7 +/- 0.1 pg/ml and cord blood (1.3 +/- 0.2 pg/ml) but markedly elevated NOx concentration (maternal blood 36.7 +/- 4.2 mumol/l), cord blood 33.5 +/- 3.5 mmol/l). In pregnant women with mild preeclampsia elevated ET-1 levels were found both in cord (3.41 +/- 0.6 pg/ml) and maternal blood (2.62 +/- 0.5 pg/ml) which were accompanied by elevated NOx concentrations (31.2 +/- 2.9 mumol/l and 32.4 +/- 2.3 mumol/l in cord and maternal blood respectively). A significant negative correlation was found between plasma ET-1 and NO levels in cord blood from severely preeclamptic women, but a positive one between cord plasma ET-1 level and gestosis index.

CONCLUSION: Participation of altered ET-1 and NOx levels in maternal and cord blood from preeclamptic women as compensatory mechanisms providing adequate perfusion of the utero-placental unit is likely.