Significance of Serum Placenta Growth Factor Level in Preeclampsia

Objective:To detect the expression of placenta growth factor (PlGF) in maternal peripheral circulation from normal pregnancy and preeclampsia (PE),and to determine whether placenta growth factor is associated with the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.Methods:The serum PlGF level collected from 40 PE patients and 20 normolensive controls was measured by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA).The placental microvessel was stained with CD34 by immunohistochemistry and the microvessel density (MVD) was counted.Results:The serum PlGF level in mild preeclampsia group (201.25±52.33 pg/ml) and severe preeclampsia group (165.83±37.54 pg/ml) were significantly lower than those from normal pregnancies (315.76±76.98 pg/ml).The MVD of placental tissues were significantly lower in mild (45.6±4.2) and severe (40.2±3.9) preeclampsia groups than in normal pregnancy group (58.2±4.8).Conclusions:Decreased expression of serum PlGF and the decline of MVD in placental tissues might play an important role in pathogenesis of preeclampsia.