Relationship between urinary albumin and serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) in normal pregnancy

• Published in: European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology Vol. 128; no. 1; pp. 204 - 208
• Main Authors: Yoshimatsu, Jun, Matsumoto, Harunobu, Goto, Kiyomi, Shimano, Masako, Narahara, Hisashi, Miyakawa, Isao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.09.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Albuminuria; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - physiology; Diseases of mother, fetus and pregnancy; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Kidney Glomerulus - metabolism; Medical sciences; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Placenta - metabolism; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy - physiology; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; sFlt-1; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Urinary tract. Prostate gland; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - physiology; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 - physiology; VEGF; Albuminuria; sFlt-1; VEGF; Preeclampsia; Urine; Urinary system disease; Pregnancy disorders; Enzyme; Transferases; Gynecology; Albumin; Serum albumin; Soluble form; Obstetrics; Pregnancy toxemia; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Female; Protein-tyrosine kinase; Proteinuria
• ISSN: 0301-2115; 1872-7654
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2005.11.017

To investigate if the circulating level of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) correlates with urinary albumin excretion in normal pregnancy. Serum specimens and 24 h urine collections were requested from normal pregnant women at 28–30 weeks of gestation and the following laboratory tests were performed: serum creatinine, urinary protein, urinary albumin and creatinine clearance. For the present study, 117 normal pregnant women were selected as subjects. Subjects’ serum was tested to determine sFlt-1 and VEGF concentrations by ELISA. The correlation between sFlt-1 or VEGF concentrations in the serum and renal laboratory variables were analyzed. Simple regression was used to evaluate the correlations. A significant association was noted between serum sFlt-1 concentration and urinary albumin excretion ( r = 0.68; P < .0001). Similarly, a significant association was noted between serum VEGF concentration and urinary albumin excretion ( r = −0.39; P < .0001). Other urinary variables showed no correlations with either sFlt-1 or VEGF. Even in normal pregnancy, albumin excretion is affected by an increase in placentally derived sFlt-1. If the sFlt-1 level is kept within normal range, only glomerular endothelial cells are affected and this phenomenon does not spread to the endothelial cells of a whole body.