The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of cord blood levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in preterm infants with maternal preeclampsia.

Thirty six preterm infants born at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital from January 2006 to August 2006 were studied after prior parental consent at mid-pregnancy. sFlt-1, PlGF, and VEGF levels in the cord blood of preterm neonate, with or without maternal preeclampsia, were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

There was no difference in sFlt-1 between infants with and without maternal preeclampsia. Infants with maternal preeclampsia had significantly lower PlGF levels (P=0.035) and higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratio (P=0.080) with borderline significance. Cord blood VEGF levels were not related to maternal preeclampsia. Infants with maternal preeclampsia had lower birth weight (P=0.030), lower neonatal platelet count without statistical significance (P=0.064) and more likely to be small for gestational age (P=0.057). Neonatal platelet count was significantly correlated with cord blood PlGF levels (r=0.674, P=0.032).

Increased sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and decreased PlGF may not only be related to the pathophysiology of maternal preeclampsia but also affect the neonatal platelet count and birth weight.

This study was performed to investigate the functional roles of hypoxia and HIF-1 α, leading to expression of VEGF and FGF in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

From September 2005 to february 2006, endometrial stromal cells were obtained from the patients with or without endometrosis at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Ewha Womans University Dongdaemun Hospital. These cells were cultured and treated with 100uM desferrioxamine (DFO) for 0hr and 2hr. After the extraction of total RNA, RT-PCR was performed and the expression level of HIF-1 α, VEGF and FGF mRNA were measured by β-actin as 1. Statistical analysis was performed by Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test (SPSS 12.0 version). A p value of 0.05 was considered as the limit for statistical significance.

Chemical hypoxia condition with DFO in normal endometrium results m the up-regulation of HIF-1 α, but it was significantly decreased in the eutopic endometrium of the patients with endometriosis. The expression of VEGF in normal control group was not changed, but it was increased in endometriosis group under chemical hypoxia. Hypoxia with DFO induced the overexpression of FGF in endometriosis group, compared that it was slightly decreased in normal endometrium.

Hypoxia and subsequent production of HIF-1 α might regulate angiogenesis by the expression of VEGF and FGF, that is related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. However, further studies are warranted to confirm.