ABSTRACT

Aim of the study: To establish endothelial activation markers which could uncover endothelial damage during physiological pregnancy and pregnacies with chronic hypertension.

Settings: Department of Hemato-oncology, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Medical Genetics and Fetal Medicine Medical Faculty of Palacký University Olomouc, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Faculty Ostrava.

Methods: We examined 298 pregnant women with a physiological pregnancy. Venous blood samples were collected from the women in both arms at the beginning of the pregnancy, a second sample was collected in the interval 24–28 weeks gestation, the third sample was colected about the 36 weeks of gestation. Parameters were examined using methods: t-PA – ELISA, PAI-1 – ELISA, vWF – EIA, ePCR – ELISA, MMP-2,9 – ELISA with fluorogenic detection, TIMP-2 – ELISA, endothelial microparticles – flow cytometry.

Results: In accordance with the literature, we have observed in our study significantly increased endothelial activatition in hypertensive pregnancies compared with women with physiological pregnancy, as evidenced by significant increases in vWF activity and antigen, thrombomodulin and PAI-1 in all trimesters. In the other investigated parameters statistically significant changes were not observed.

Conclusion: We have found significant signs of endothelial dysfunction in the group of women with pre-existing hypertension, a wide range of parameters examined markers indicating an significantly increased endothelial activation pregnant women with pre-existing hypertension, confirming the need for strict follow-up of pregnant women with hypertensive disease.

KEYWORDS endothelium – activation – pregnancy – hypertension