Objective: The aim of this study was to measure plasmatic concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and placental growth factor (PIGF) in pregnant women, and to evaluate their relationship with age, hormonal status, gestational age, and different diseases of pregnancy.
Methods: We selected a control group of 163 patients (96 fertile and 67 in menopause) and a group of 214 pregnant patients during the whole gestational period. VEGF-A and PlGF were assayed by ELISA and EIA methods, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test.
Results: The control group showed mean VEGF-A and PlGF values of 89.87 pg/ml and 10.22 pg/ml, respectively; PlGF showed the highest values in menopausal patients. The group of pregnant patients showed VEGF-A values of 27.05 pg/ml and PlGF values of 231.36 pg/ml respectively, with lower (for the VEGF-A) and higher (for the PlGF) statistical significance. These values were not influenced by biological age, but were related to gestational age: VEGF-A showed a decrease and PlGF an increase particularly after the 20th gestational week. PlGF showed a statistically significant decrease compared to physiological gestation in spontaneous and threatened abortions (p < 0.0001) and in ectopic pregnancies (p < 0.0001), an increase in ultrasound and CTG alterations (p < 0.05), and threatened premature delivery and uterine hypercontractility (p < 0.01); on the other hand VEGF-A showed a statistically significant increase in ectopic pregnancies (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: VEGF-A and PlGF may play a diagnostic and prognostic role in pregnancy. Further studies are required to better understand the meaning of variability of their values.