Serum Levels of Angiopoietin-Related Growth Factor Are Increased in Preeclampsia

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a serious complication in pregnancy with an increased future cardiovascular and metabolic risk for both mother and newborn. Recently, angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF) was introduced as a novel liver-derived protein with proangiogenic and insulin-sensitizing effects. In the current study, we hypothesized that serum levels of AGF would be lower in preeclamptic patients as compared to healthy controls. METHODS: AGF was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in control and preeclamptic patients during pregnancy ( CONTROL: n =22, Preeclampsia: n =22) and 6 months after delivery ( CONTROL: n =20, Preeclampsia: n =20). Furthermore, circulating AGF was correlated to clinical and biochemical measures of renal function, glucose, and lipid metabolism, as well as inflammation. RESULTS: During pregnancy, median maternal AGF concentrations were significantly higher in preeclampsia (191.6 microg/l) as compared to control subjects (136.3 microg/l) (P = 0.004). Furthermore, preeclampsia and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were associated with AGF levels in multivariate analyses independent of maternal age. However, higher circulating AGF concentrations in preeclampsia did not persist 6 months after delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal AGF serum levels are significantly and paradoxically higher in preeclampsia during pregnancy. However, median postpartum circulating AGF levels are similar in preeclampsia and normal pregnancies.