Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
Volume 27, Issue 9, Pages 1225-1230Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpu033
Keywords
B-type natriuretic peptide; blood pressure; early-onset preeclampsia; hypertension; late-onset preeclampsia; NT-proBNP; placenta
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Funding
- Erik, Karin and Gosta Selanders Foundation
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BACKGROUND Levels of plasma N-terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are elevated in preeclampsia. In this study, the possibility that the placenta produces and releases proBNP/NT-proBNP was explored. Plasma levels of NT-proBNP in early- and late-onset preeclampsia were also measured. METHODS Placental proBNP mRNA in early-onset preeclampsia (n = 7), late-onset preeclampsia (n = 8), and controls of similar gestational age (n = 10) was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. ProBNP/NT-proBNP protein was studied in placental samples with immunohistochemistry (n = 8) and tissue culture (n = 2). Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were measured in early-onset preeclampsia (n = 18), late-onset preeclampsia (n = 20), and relevant controls (n = 36). RESULTS Transcripts of proBNP mRNA were found in 20 out of 25 samples, there were no differences in expression between the groups. ProBNP/NT-proBNP protein was observed in maternal spiral arteries and in syncytiotrophoblasts in all placental samples. After placental tissue culture, there were measurable amounts of NT-proBNP in the culture media. Women with both early- (365 [14-9815] pg/ml) and late-onset preeclampsia (176 [33-2547] pg/ml) had higher levels of NT-proBNP than their controls (P < 0.001). There was a tendency toward higher levels of NT-proBNP in women with early-onset preeclampsia than in women with late-onset preeclampsia (P = 0.057). CONCLUSION The results indicate possible placental production and release of proBNP/NT-proBNP into the maternal circulation.
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