Elevated tissue plasminogen activator as a potential marker of endothelial dysfunction in pre-eclampsia: correlation with proteinuria

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2002

Authors

Belo, L (Author) FFUP; Santos Silva, A (Author) FFUP; Rumley, A (Author) Other; Lowe, G (Author) Other; Pereira Leite, L (Author) Other; Quintanilha, A (Author) ICBAS; Rebelo, I (Author) FFUP

Journal

Title: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Vol. 109

Pages: 1250-1255

ISSN: 1470-0328

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 37 Citations

Scopus - 46 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Clinical medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-MFK

DOI: 10.1016/s1470-0328(02)01957-2

Abstract (EN): Objective To clarify the role played by endothelial cell production of fibrinolytic factors in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. Design A longitudinal study performed during normal pregnancy and a cross sectional study performed in healthy and pre-eclamptic pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy. Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of S. Jodo, Porto, Portugal. Population Fourteen normal pregnant women followed through the three trimesters of gestation. Two groups of women (normal, n = 56; pre-eclamptic, n = 37) evaluated at the third trimester of gestation. Methods Measurement of platelet number, plasma levels of fibrinogen, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity, and fibrin fragment D-dimer. Main outcome measures Pre-eclampsia, proteinuria. Results All the substances, except platelet count, increased significantly throughout normal pregnancy. Comparison of the values in the third trimesters of normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies showed similar values for the fibrinogen and platelet counts, and higher values of t-PA (almost twice normal median value; P < 0.0001), PAI-1 and D-dimer in the pre-eclamptic women. t-PA cot-related positively and significantly with the degree of proteinuria in pre-eclamptic women (r = 0.575, P = 0.0002). Conclusion These findings suggest that elevated t-PA antigen may reflect endothelial disturbance in pre-eclampsia, and may be a potential biomarker of risk.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6