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Maternal serum visfatin at 11–13 weeks’ gestation in preeclampsia

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 27, pages 261–264 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine if the maternal serum levels of visfatin in the first trimester of pregnancy are altered in cases that develop preeclampsia (PE) and whether the levels are related to placental perfusion reflected in uterine artery pulsatility index (PI). Serum visfatin and uterine artery PI were measured at 11+0–13+6 weeks in 80 cases that developed PE and 240 unaffected controls. The median visfatin and uterine artery PI multiple of the unaffected median (MoM) in the outcome groups was compared and the significance of the association between visfatin MoM and uterine artery PI MoM, birth weight percentile and gestation at delivery was determined. In the PE group, compared with controls, there was a significantly higher median visfatin MoM (1.35, interquartile range (IQR): 0.69–2.16 vs 1.00, IQR: 0.55–1.96, P=0.027) and uterine artery PI MoM (1.19, IQR: 0.95–1.44 vs 1.03, IQR: 0.83–1.22, P<0.0001). In the PE group, there was no significant association between serum visfatin MoM and uterine artery PI MoM (P=0.589), gestation at delivery (P=0.763) or birth weight percentile (P=0.646). Serum visfatin levels at 11–13 weeks are increased in women who develop PE by a mechanism unrelated to impaired placental perfusion.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by a grant from The Fetal Medicine Foundation (UK Charity No: 1037116). The assay for visfatin was performed by Ms Tracy Dew at the Department of Biochemistry, King’s College Hospital, London, UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King’s College Hospital, London, UK

    A F A Ferreira, J C Rezende, R de Cassia C. Oliveira, R Akolekar & K H Nicolaides

  2. Fetal Medicine Unit, University College Hospital, London, UK

    R de Cassia C. Oliveira & K H Nicolaides

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  1. A F A Ferreira
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  2. J C Rezende
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  3. R de Cassia C. Oliveira
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  4. R Akolekar
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Correspondence to K H Nicolaides.

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Ferreira, A., Rezende, J., de Cassia C. Oliveira, R. et al. Maternal serum visfatin at 11–13 weeks’ gestation in preeclampsia. J Hum Hypertens 27, 261–264 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2012.10

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