Pregnancy Hypertens.2019Oct;18:82-87. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2019.09.015. Epub 2019 Sep 29
Objectives
Angiogenic factors may be involved in lung development. To evaluate the relations between maternal and cordblood angiogenic factors (sflt-1, placental growth factor [plgf], soluble endogline [seng], transforming growthfactor β [TGF-beta]) and their association with moderate and severe broncho-pulmonary dysplasia (BPD) invery preterm growth-restricted infants.
Study design
Prospective mono-centric cohort study. Twenty-four mother-child dyads featuring antepartumpreeclampsia,intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and birth before 30 weeks’ gestation were included. This ensured a 80%power to test whether sflt-1 maternal levels would be twice as high in cases of BPD as in the absence of BPD.
Main outcome measures
Four pro/anti-angiogenic factors from two pathways (sflt-1, plgf and seng, TGF-beta) were measured inmaternal serum before delivery (at the time of hospitalization or the day of birth) and in neonates’ cord blood.Neonatal outcome was moderate to severe BPD, defined as oxygen requirement for at least 28 days and persistent need for oxygen or ventilatory support at 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age.
Results
Sflt-1 levels were positively correlated in maternal serum and cord blood (rs = 0.83, p < .001) but levels of plgfand TGF-beta and its receptor seng were not. Among all the factors studied in cord and maternal blood, nonewas associated with BPD.
Conclusions
In IUGR preterm babies born before 30 weeks’ gestation from pre-eclamptic mothers, serum sflt-1, plgf andseng, TGF-β levels were not correlated with BPD. The increased BPD risk in preterm neonates born from pre-eclamptic mothers cannot be related to high sflt-1 levels.