Amniotic fluid concentrations of soluble endoglin and endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 in pregnancies complicated with neural tube defects

Objective: To determine the concentrations of soluble endoglin (sCD105) and endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (ESM-1) in the amniotic fluid (AF) of pregnant women, and to investigate the relationship between these concentrations and neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods: AF concentrations of sCD105 and ESM-1 were measured in the study group, which included 60 pregnant women complicated with NTDs, and 64 pregnant women with unaffected healthy fetuses (control group). The AF concentrations of sCD105 and ESM-1 in both groups were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared. Results: There were no significant differences in terms of the mean AF concentrations of sCD105 and ESM-1 between the groups (P=0.141, P=0.084, respectively). There was a significant difference between the AF sCD105 concentrations in those with gestational age >= 24 weeks (n=101) and 24 weeks (n = 23) (X-<(24) = 76.35 +/- 126.62 vs. X->=(24) = 39.87 +/- 58.32, P=0.041). AF ESM-1 concentrations were found to be statistically significant in the gestational age <22 weeks (n = 90) and >= 22 weeks (n = 34) groups (X-<(22) =135.91 +/- 1926 vs. X->=(22) = 148.56 +/- 46.85, P=0.035). A positive and low-level relation at a statistically significant level was determined between the gestational age and AF ESM-1 concentration in the study group (r = 0.257; P=0.048). Conclusion: AF concentrations of sCD105 and ESM-1 were not associated with the development of NTDs. Unlike studies that reported that ESM-1 concentrations decreased in maternal plasma with increased gestational age, we determined an increase that was proportionate to gestational age in AF.