Cathepsin D levels are reduced in patients with preeclampsia in Korean population

Objectives: To compare the circulating levels of cathepsin Din preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies. Design and methods: Fifty pregnant and 20 healthy non-pregnant patients were enrolled in this study. Of the 50 pregnant patients, 15 were preeclamptic and 35 patients were normotensive. Serum levels of soluble cathepsin D were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results: Cathepsin D levels were significantly lower in preeclamptic patients than normotensive pregnant patients (p = 0.033). The serum levels of cathepsin D in preeclamptic and non-pregnant healthy patients showed similar results. The serum levels of cathepsin D were not positively correlated with preeclampsia severity or the incidence of delivery of small for gestational age infants. Conclusions: We conclude that a reduced cathepsin D level is an important factor that may contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, possibly by inhibiting normal trophoblastic invasion. These results contribute to the understanding of this serious obstetric problem. (C) 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.