Placental lesions of vascular insufficiency are associated with anti-angiogenic state in women with preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if placental histopathological changes of vascular insufficiency correlate with circulating angiogenic factors in patients with preeclampsia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were selected from a previous prospective cohort study of preeclampsia based on the availability of plasma anti-angiogenic factor (sFlt1) and pro-angiogenic factor (PlGF) measurements and placental histology specimens. Preeclamptic patients were divided into two groups based on plasma levels of these factors described as a ratio: anti-angiogenic preeclampsia with sFlt1/PlGF ratio ≥85 and normal angiogenic preeclampsia with sFlt1/PlGF < 85. The placental lesions of vascular insufficiency that were studied specifically included atherosis, infarcts, syncytial knots, acute and chronic abruption, hematoma, and fetal thrombosis. The data are shown as median (quartile 1 and quartile 3) or n (%) when appropriate. RESULTS: The anti-angiogenic preeclampsia group (N = 48) presented at an earlier gestational age (weeks) than the normal angiogenic group (N = 28); {32 (28, 34) versus 35 (32, 36), p = 0.002}, had higher systolic blood pressure (mmHg) {154 (147, 168) versus 147 (132, 158), p = 0.02}, delivered early (weeks) {(32 (29, 34) versus 36 (34, 37), p < 0.001} and had lower birth weight (grams) {(1550 (1055, 2060) versus 2655 (2285, 3343), p < 0.001}. Several pathologic lesions were found significantly more often in the anti-angiogenic preeclampsia group; atherosis {27.7% versus 3.6%, p < 0.05}, infarcts {58.3% versus 3.6%, p = 0.002}, and syncytial knots {81.3% versus 39.3%, p < 0.001}. CONCLUSION: Preeclamptic patients with imbalance in circulating angiogenic factors have disproportionally higher rates of placental vascular lesions historically associated with severe disease.