Antenatal corticosteroids impact the inflammatory rather than the antiangiogenic profile of women with preeclampsia

Abstract

Circulating antiangiogenic factors and proinflammatory cytokines are implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that steroids modify the balance of inflammatory and proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors that potentially contribute to the patient's evolving clinical state. Seventy singleton women, admitted for antenatal corticosteroid treatment, were enrolled prospectively. The study group consisted of 45 hypertensive women: chronic hypertension (n=6), severe preeclampsia (n=32), and superimposed preeclampsia (n=7). Normotensive women with shortened cervix (<2.5 cm) served as controls (n=25). Maternal blood samples of preeclampsia cases were obtained before steroids and then serially up until delivery. A clinical severity score was designed to clinically monitor disease progression. Serum levels of angiogenic factors (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 [sFlt-1], placental growth factor [PlGF], soluble endoglin [sEng]), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and proinflammatory markers (IL-6, C-reactive protein [CRP]) were assessed before and after steroids. Soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and total immunoglobulins (IgG) were measured as markers of T- and B-cell activation, respectively. Steroid treatment coincided with a transient improvement in clinical manifestations of preeclampsia. A significant decrease in IL-6 and CRP was observed although levels of sIL-2R and IgG remained unchanged. Antenatal corticosteroids did not influence the levels of angiogenic factors but ET-1 levels registered a short-lived increase poststeroids. Although a reduction in specific inflammatory mediators in response to antenatal steroids may account for the transient improvement in clinical signs of preeclampsia, inflammation is unlikely to be the major contributor to severe preeclampsia or useful for therapeutic targeting. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.114.03173
Divisions: College of Health & Life Sciences > Aston Medical School
Additional Information: Funding: Albert McKern Memorial Fund grant; Yale University Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship academic enhancement fund, Center for Perinatal Research Nationwide Children's Hospital; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University; British Heart Foundation; Medical Research Council [MRC Programme Grant (G0700288)]. Data Supplement : http://hyper.ahajournals.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.114.03173/-/DC1
Uncontrolled Keywords: angiogenesis inducing agents,inflammation,pacenta,preeclampsia,steroids,Internal Medicine
Publication ISSN: 1524-4563
Last Modified: 04 Jan 2024 08:19
Date Deposited: 14 Aug 2014 11:40
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Related URLs: http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
http://hyper.ah ... ntent/63/6/1285 (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2014
Published Online Date: 2014-03-24
Authors: Nayeri, Unzila A.
Buhimschi, Irina A.
Laky, Christine A.
Cross, Sarah N.
Duzyj, Christina M.
Ramma, Wenda
Sibai, Baha M.
Funai, Edmund F.
Ahmed, Asif (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-8755-8546)
Buhimschi, Catalin S.

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