Preeclampsia and pregnancies with small-for-gestational age neonates have different profiles of complement split products

Figures & data

Table I.  Clinical characteristics of the study population.

	Normal pregnancy n = 134	Small for gestational age n = 53	Preeclampsia without SGA n = 54	Preeclampsia with SGA n = 52
Maternal age (years)	25 (17–40)	24 (15–43)	24 (13–43)	23 (16–40)
Smoking*	23 (17.2)	17 (32)^†,‡	6 (11.1)	8 (15.3)^§
Drugs^¶	14 (10.6)	7 (13.4)	4 (7.4)	3 (5.7)
Nulliparity	37 (27.6)	26 (49.1)^†	36 (66.6)^†	30 (57.6)^†
Gestational age at venipuncture (weeks)	37.5 (20–41.7)	36.8 (25–39.7)	36.5 (23.4–42.4)	35.5 (25–41)
Gestational age at delivery (weeks)	39.2 (37–42.4)	37.1 (25–39.7)^†	36.4 (23.7–42.4)^†	35.6 (26.2–41.1)^†
Birthweight (g)	3345 (2610–4080)	2050 (300–2880)^†,‡	2195 (530–4460)^†	1770 (550–2880)^†,‡
Adjusted birthweight for gestational age (MOM)	−0.01 (−0.16 to 0.18)	−0.35 (−0.61 to −0.18)	−0.22 (−0.49 to 0.37)	−0.32 (−0.49 to −0.17)

Values expressed as median (range) or number (percent).

*Normal pregnancy, n =  133.

^†P < 0.05 compared with normal pregnancy.

^‡P < 0.05 compared with preeclampsia without SGA.

^§P < 0.05 compared with SGA.

^¶Normal pregnancy, n = 132.

Table II.  Plasma concentration of C3a, C4a and C5a of the study population.

	C3a	C4a	C5a
Normal pregnancy (n =  134)	2364.7 (557.9–6642.7)	10125.4 (850.7–32,640)	12.4 (1.2–87.1)
Small for gestational age (n =  53)	2075.3 (585.1–8155.6)	7114.2 (973.4–33,460)	14.3 (1.1–30.5)
Preeclampsia (n = 54)	2127.4 (698.6–15,820)	9124.3 (1020.3–25,940)	19.7*^,† (4.3–94.1)
Preeclampsia with SGA (n = 52)	2529.8 (289.4–9080.8)	5696^‡ (389.9–35,690)	19.7*^,† (4.5–119)

Values expressed as median and range (ng/ml).

*P < 0.05 compared with normal pregnancy.

^†P < 0.05 compared with SGA.

^‡P < 0.05 compared with preeclampsia without SGA.

Figure 1.  Median plasma anaphylatoxins concentration of normal pregnant women, women with small for gestational age neonates (SGA) and women with preeclampsia with and without SGA. (A) The median plasma C5a concentration was higher in patients with preeclampsia with SGA (median: 19.7 ng/ml; range: 4.5–119 ng/ml) or without SGA (median: 19.7 ng/ml; range: 4.3–94.1 ng/ml) than normal pregnant women (median: 12.4 ng/ml; range: 1.2–87.1 ng/ml) or women with isolated SGA (median: 14.3 ng/ml; range: 1.1–30.5 ng/ml). (B) In contrast, women with preeclampsia and SGA had a median plasma C4a concentration lower than normal pregnant women (preeclampsia and SGA median: 5696 ng/ml; range: 389.9–35,690 ng/ml vs. normal pregnancy median: 10125.4 ng/ml; range: 850.7–32,640 ng/ml; P = 0.001). No differences in plasma C4a concentration were observed among other groups. (C) There were no significant differences in the C3a plasma concentration among the study groups.