Key result
Severe preeclampsia linked to ~63% lower serotonin EC50 in the umbilical artery.
Why the study?
Elevated plasma-free serotonin levels in preeclampsia may evoke abnormal vasoconstriction in the umbilical artery, but this relationship was not established.
Does elevated plasma-free serotonin cause abnormal vasoconstriction in the umbilical artery of patients with severe preeclampsia compared to normal pregnant women?
Observational
Does elevated plasma-free serotonin cause abnormal vasoconstriction in the umbilical artery of patients with severe preeclampsia compared to normal pregnant women?
Absolute Event Rate: 5.2% vs 13.9%
p-value: p=< 0.001
Increased plasma-free serotonin and vascular hypersensitivity to serotonin in severe preeclampsia may cause umbilical artery vasospasm and disturb feto-placental circulation.
May suggest altered umbilical reactivity in severe preeclampsia; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether elevated plasma-free-serotonin (5-HT) levels in preeclampsia could evoke abnormal vasoconstriction in the umbilical artery (UmA). Threshold concentrations of 5-HT in the UmA from 12 normal pregnant (NP) women were 5 ng/ml. Plasma-free 5-HT levels in the UmA (14.38 +/- 5.68 ng/ml) in severe preeclampsia (SP) were higher than the threshold value. Plasma-free 5-HT levels in UmA blood (1.6 +/- 1.2 ng/ml) in NP women were lower than the threshold value. There were significant increases in sensitivity to 5-HT in the UmA from SP; the threshold value of 5-HT was low (1.0 ng/ml), and the EC50 value (5.2 +/- 2.4 ng/ml) was significantly lower than that of NP women (13.9 +/- 3.0 ng/ml, p < 0.001). These results strongly suggest that increased plasma-free 5-HT and vascular hypersensitivity to 5-HT in preeclampsia can cause vasospasms and a disturbance of the feto-placental circulation.
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Katsunori Taniguchi (1995) conducted an observational in Preeclampsia. Severe preeclampsia vs. Normal pregnancy was evaluated on EC50 value for 5-HT in the umbilical artery (p=< 0.001). Severe preeclampsia was associated with significantly increased sensitivity to serotonin in the umbilical artery compared to normal pregnancy (EC50 5.2 vs 13.9 ng/ml, p < 0.001).
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