Elevated maternal serum sP-selectin levels in preeclamptic pregnancies with and without intrauterine fetal growth restriction, but not in normotensive pregnancies complicated by isolated IUGR

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to show differences of maternal serum sP-selectin levels in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR) in the course of preeclampsia and to compare the results with normotensive pregnant women with isolated IUGR. These studies were also conducted on preeclamptic pregnancies with appropriate-for-gestational-age weight infants and on the control normotensive pregnant women. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study was carried out on 55 patients with pregnancy complicated by fetal growth restriction in the course of preeclampsia, 70 normotensive patients with pregnancies complicated by isolated IUGR, 39 preeclamptic patients with appropriate-for-gestational-age weight fetuses and 54 healthy normotensive pregnant patients with normal fetal growth. Maternal serum levels of sP-selectin were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Levels of sP-selectin were higher in women with pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia with and without IUGR; whereas, in the group of normotensive pregnant women with isolated fetal growth restriction, serum sP-selectin levels tended to be lower than in the control subjects, but this difference was not statistically significant. The mean values were 192.05±70.96 ng/mL in the IUGR group, 293.18±222.92 ng/mL in the PI group, 379.78±353.13 ng/mL in the P group and 227.96±134.04 ng/mL in the healthy controls (p<0.001*). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may suggest that the elevated level of the soluble P-selectin is associated with preeclampsia, and that it may confirm the presence of platelet and endothelial activation, the presence of the hypercoagulant state and may be due to the systemic inflammatory response in this serious pregnancy disorder.