Soluble endoglin and transforming growth factor‐β1 in women who subsequently developed preeclampsia

Objective This study aimed to analyze the differences of soluble endoglin (sEng) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) according to preeclamptic complications and to investigate the correlation between these factors and the clinical symptoms of preeclampsia. Method We estimated the levels of sEng and TGF-β1 in plasma collected in the second trimester at the time of genetic amniocentesis from 60 women who subsequently developed preeclampsia and 124 contemporaneous normotensive women. Results sEng levels were higher in cases than in controls, whereas TGF-β1 levels were lower (P < 0.001). sEng levels, but not TGF-β1 levels, were higher in cases with severe or preterm delivery than in cases with mild preeclampsia or term delivery (P < 0.001) and were increased in cases destined to deliver a small gestational age neonate (P < 0.001). Moreover, sEng levels, but not TGF-β1 levels, showed a positive correlation with maximum diastolic and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.57, P < 0.001; and r = 0.33, P < 0.001, respectively) and proteinuria (r = 0.42, P < 0.001). Conclusion Early midtrimester plasma levels of sEng are predictive of subsequence occurrence and severity of preeclampsia, in terms of severity of hypertension and proteinuria, prematurity, and association with small for gestational age neonates. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.