Pregnancy outcome and fibrinolytic, endothelial and coagulation markers in women undergoing uterine artery Doppler screening at 23 weeks

Background: Pre-eclampsia (PET) and/or fetal growth restriction (FGR) remain a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In pregnancy, fibrinolysis is controlled by the maternal endothelium and placenta, both of which are central to the pathogenesis of PET/FGR. Clinically, uterine artery Doppler screening at 23 weeks is used to predict PET/FGR. An abnormal uterine artery Doppler finding is defined as early diastolic bilateral uterine artery notching (BN) in the waveform. However, about 50% of mothers with BN do not develop PET/FGR. Objectives: We investigated fibrinolytic changes and uterine artery Doppler findings in the second trimester, and related them to pregnancy outcome; in particular assessing whether fibrinolytic markers could discriminate between normal and abnormal outcome in mothers with BN. Patients/methods: Plasma levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2), plasmin-alpha(2) antiplasmin (PAP), D-dimers and markers of endothelial dysfunction were measured with Doppler ultrasound at 23 weeks. Results: Those with BN had decreased PAP and D-dimer levels, and raised PAI-1 and thrombomodulin levels. Mothers with BN and PET/FGR had significantly increased t-PA levels and reduced PAI-2 levels. Conclusions: BN at 23 weeks of gestation is associated with increased PAI-1 levels. Within the BN group, mothers who developed PET/FGR had increased t-PA levels and decreased PAI-2 levels, although there was no net change in fibrinolysis as measured by D-dimer levels. No single fibrinolytic marker is helpful in determining pregnancy outcome in those with BN, but t-PA and PAI-2 are worthy of study in a multifactorial algorithm.