Increased maternal plasma levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).

One of the reason of PIH problems may be due to the presence of increased circulating levels of cell adhesion molecules, markers of endothelial damage and leukocyte activation. The objective was to evaluate the plasma levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule in maternal peripheral blood of patients with PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension) and compared to those of normal healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancy. Maternal plasma samples were prepared from peripheral venous blood collected from 10 patients with PIH and 10 matched normotensive patients with uncomplicated pregnancies. Samples were assayed for soluble VCAM-1 by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Women with PIH had significantly higher plasma level of soluble VCAM-1 as compared with healthy pregnant women without PIH (653.50 vs. 456.39 ng/mL, respectively, p < 0.005). Our results on the increased plasma levels of soluble VCAM-1 in patients with PIH provide evidence for endothelial activation of PIH. It suggest that increased plasma level of soluble VCAM-1 could be an early marker of the maternal syndrome of PIH.