Reductions of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor concentrations in severe preeclampsia

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor are altered in women with severe preeclampsia. Study Design: We performed a case-control study to compare plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor between women with severe preeclampsia and normotensive women admitted for delivery. Twenty-one women with severe preeclampsia were matched for gestational age and ethnicity with 21 normotensive women. Vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor concentrations were measured with a specific antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Women with severe preeclampsia demonstrated significantly lower plasma concentrations of both vascular endothelial growth factor (6.36 ± 3.96 pg/mL vs 18.65 ± 5.98 pg/mL; P< .0001) and placental growth factor (138 ± 119 pg/mL vs 531 ± 340 pg/mL; P< .0001) than did women with normotensive pregnancy. Logistic regression analysis showed an independent association between plasma vascular endothelial growth factor concentration and plasma placental growth factor concentration and preeclampsia. Conclusion: Patients with severe preeclampsia had decreased maternal serum concentrations of both vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:1554-7.)