Complex congenital malformations and the impact of the plasminogen activator system and beta-hCG in amniotic fluid.

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Verkleij-Hagoort AC, Ursem NT, Hop WC, Geurts-Moespot A, Steegers EA, Sweep FC, Steegers-Theunissen RP

Complex congenital malformations and the impact of the plasminogen activator system and beta-hCG in amniotic fluid.

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2007 Nov;135(1):47-52. Epub 2006 Dec 1.

PubMed ID

17141398 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The plasminogen activator system and beta-hCG may affect neural crest cells and angiogenesis, and thereby embryogenesis. Therefore, we investigated these parameters in amniotic fluids of pregnancies with a complex congenital malformation. STUDY DESIGN: In a case-control study amniotic fluid samples were collected from 62 pregnancies with a complex congenital malformation and from 110 healthy control pregnancies at an obstetric department of a large university hospital in the Netherlands. We determined concentrations of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI-1, PAI-2), tPA approximately PAI-1 and uPA approximately PAI-1 complexes, and beta-hCG with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Mann-Whitney U-tests and analysis of covariance, adjusting for gestational and maternal age, were performed for data comparisons. RESULTS: Compared with controls, cases demonstrated significantly lower adjusted geometric mean levels of uPA (24%), tPA (> or =19%) and tPA approximately PAI-1 (35%). Cases showed significantly higher adjusted mean levels of beta-hCG (> or =48%) and PAI-2 (10 ng/mL) than controls. Mean PAI-1 and uPA approximately PAI-1 levels were comparable between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Disturbances in the plasminogen activator system and beta-hCG levels are suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of complex congenital malformations by affecting neural crest cell migration and angiogenesis.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Targets

Drug	Target	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
Tenecteplase	Plasminogen activator inhibitor 2	Protein	Humans	Unknown	Not Available	Details