Maternal serum soluble adhesion molecule levels at 11⁺⁰–13⁺⁶ weeks and subsequent development of pre-eclampsia

Abstract

Objectives. We sought to examine whether the maternal serum concentration of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) at 11⁺⁰–13⁺⁶ weeks of gestation could improve the prediction for subsequent development of pre-eclampsia.

Methods. A nested case–control prospective study of pregnancies having uterine artery Doppler routinely at 11⁺⁰–13⁺⁶ weeks of gestation was conducted to determine the maternal serum concentration of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 in peripheral blood samples obtained from 18 women who later developed pre-eclampsia and 60 unaffected women.

Results. The mean uterine artery pulsatility index was higher (2.2 ± 0.6 vs. 1.8 ± 0.5, p < 0.05) in the pre-eclampsia compared with the unaffected pregnancies. There were no significant differences between the groups in the mean serum concentration of either adhesion molecule.

Conclusions. These results suggest that there is no endothelial activation before the appearance of clinical signs of pre-eclampsia. Therefore, these biochemical markers are unlikely to become early predictors of this condition.

Keywords:

• Pre-eclampsia
• screening
• uterine artery Doppler
• adhesion molecule