Maternal/newborn VEGF-C936T interaction and its influence on the risk, severity and prognosis of preeclampsia, as well as on the maternal angiogenic profile

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the influence of maternal/newborn vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-CT936 interaction as a modulating factor in preeclampsia as well as its influence on the maternal angiogenic balance.

Methods: Seventy pairs of preeclamptic women/newborns and 94 pairs of normal pregnant mothers/newborns were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Serum VEGF and soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) levels were measured using ELISA.

Results: The risk to develop mild (odds ratio; OR: 3.79, p = 0.008) and severe (OR: 2.94, p = 0.037) preeclampsia being increased in association with the CT936-VEGF genotype and increased in severe preeclampsia to 6.07 (p = 0.03) if the women were carriers of the homozygous TT936-VEGF genotype. The presence of the VEGF-T936 allele in both the mother and the newborn significantly increases the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), mild and severe preeclampsia. If both the mothers and newborns were carriers of the VEGF-T936 allele, significantly lower VEGF and higher sVEGFR-1 levels were observed for all types of preeclampsia. Pregnant women with PIH and severe preeclampsia delivered at a significantly earlier gestational age neonates with a significantly lower birth weight if both the preeclamptic mothers and their newborns were carriers of the VEGF-T936 allele.

Conclusions: Our study suggests the role of maternal/fetal VEGF-CT936 polymorphism as a modulating factor in preeclampsia, which affects the angiogenic balance in preeclamptic mothers, as well as their pregnancy outcome.

• Different preeclampsia
• genetic and biochemical risk factor
• sVGFR-1 levels
• vascular endothelial growth factor
• VEGF gene polymorphism
• VEGF levels

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mrs. Denisa Marineanu, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, for English expertise during manuscript preparation and Dr Georgeta Hazi for biochemical determination.