%0 Journal Article
%T Serum Levels of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, and Nitric Oxide Metabolite Levels in Preeclampsia Patients
%A Marjan Noorbakhsh
%A Maryam Kianpour
%A Mehdi Nematbakhsh
%J ISRN Obstetrics and Gynecology
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/104213
%X Background. Hypertensive disorder generally complicates 5每10 percent of all pregnancies. Angiogenic growth factors may be helpful for the diagnosis and prediction of preeclampsia. Therefore, in this study we attempted to determine the serum levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nitric oxide (NO) metabolite (nitrite) in preeclampsia patients and compared the levels with those obtained from normal pregnant women. Methods. Ninety pregnant women (19每33 years old) in two groups of preeclampsia and normal were considered during 2012. The levels of ADMA, VEGF, and nitrite were measured in maternal serum samples using ELISA kits. Results. Significant increase of VEGF and nitrite levels was observed in preeclampsia patients when compared with other groups ( ). The serum level of ADMA demonstrated a similar increased trend in preeclampsia patients; however, the increase was not statistically significant ( ). Conclusion. The findings reveal that the elevation of serum levels of VEGF and nitrite and possibly ADMA may be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. 1. Introduction Hypertensive disorder is generally the most common disease and cause of death in pregnancy and complicates 5每10% of all pregnancies. Furthermore, the pregnancy syndrome preeclampsia complicates approximately 3每7% of all pregnancies, and the syndrome becomes a major contributor of death [1每4]. Preeclampsia generally is recognized by deficient uteroplacental perfusion [5, 6], and some risk factors such as obesity, multifetal gestations, maternal age above 35, and African-American ethnicity are associated with this syndrome [7每9]. The association between pregnancy and hypertension and its effects on mother and child life remain a subject of intensive researches for many years, and no definite solution was achieved yet. Preeclampsia often affects young and nulliparous women, and its incidence is influenced by race and genetic predispositions [10]. The role of the renin-angiotensin system and angiogenic and antiangiogenic biomarkers of placental origin has been described in pathogenesis of preeclampsia [11]. However, there is no definite biomarker to be considered as a sensitive parameter to control the disease severity. Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent vasodilator that is synthesized from L-arginine by the NO synthase and endothelial cells [12] and regulates the vascular tone and blood flow in the vascular smooth muscles. The endothelium-released NO is influenced by hypertension, and it is considered as a factor of endothelial functions [13,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.obgyn/2013/104213/