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

  1. Luís Belo1,2,*,
  2. Alice Santos-Silva1,2,
  3. Ann Rumley3,
  4. Gordon Lowe3,
  5. Luís Pereira-Leite4,
  6. Alexandre Quintanilha2,5,
  7. Irene Rebelo1,2

Article first published online: 22 DEC 2003

DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-0528.2002.01257.x

Issue

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Volume 109, Issue 11, pages 1250–1255, November 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Belo, L., Santos-Silva, A., Rumley, A., Lowe, G., Pereira-Leite, L., Quintanilha, A. and Rebelo, I. (2002), Elevated tissue plasminogen activator as a potential marker of endothelial dysfunction in pre-eclampsia: correlation with proteinuria. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 109: 1250–1255. doi: 10.1046/j.1471-0528.2002.01257.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Portugal

  2. 2

    Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Portugal

  3. 3

    University Department of Medicine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, University of Glasgow, UK

  4. 4

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital of S. João, Porto Medical School, Portugal

  5. 5

    Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal

** L. Belo, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-047 Porto, Portugal.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 22 DEC 2003
  2. Article first published online: 22 DEC 2003
  3. Accepted 18 June 2002

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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. João, 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 correlated 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.

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