Elevated serum concentrations of the angiogenesis inhibitor endostatin in preeclamptic women

OBJECTIVE: Changes in serum levels of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor or placental growth factor were associated with preeclampsia. The aim of our study was to investigate the concentrations Of endostatin, a potent endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis and endothelial or tumor cell growth, in preeclamptic patients. METHODS: Levels of soluble endostatin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis in sera of nonpregnant women, healthy pregnant women, and patients with different forms of preeclampsia. RESULTS: Statistical analyses of age-matched study groups revealed elevated medians of endostatin concentration for severely (30.5 ng/m4 and mildly (26.05 ng/mL preeclamptic patients compared with healthy pregnant (17.2 ng/m4 and nonpregnant women (17.2 ng/mL). Western blot analysis confirmed the up-regulation of soluble endostatin molecules (24 kD) in sera of severely preeclamptic patients. CONCLUSION: Elevated concentrations Of endostatin could play a role in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia by counteracting the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor. The inhibitor could also be responsible for the observed growth-inhibitory affects of preeclamptic plasma on endothelial cells. Copyright (C) 2003 by the Society for Gynecologic Investigation.