1. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A is positively correlated with first-trimester skin microvascular reactivity.
- Author
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Iacobaeus C, Kahan T, Jörneskog G, Bremme K, Andolf E, and Thorsell M
- Subjects
- Adult, Biomarkers metabolism, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Fetal Development, Forearm physiology, Humans, Laser-Doppler Flowmetry, Longitudinal Studies, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, First physiology, Pregnant Women, Skin Physiological Phenomena, Sweden, Brachial Artery physiology, Forearm blood supply, Microcirculation physiology, Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A metabolism, Skin blood supply
- Abstract
Objective: To investigate the relationship between levels of circulating maternal pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and first-trimester maternal vascular function., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 53 healthy, non-smoking, nulliparous pregnant women in Stockholm, Sweden. PAPP-A levels and vascular function were assessed during gestational weeks 11-14. Forearm skin microcirculation was investigated by laser Doppler perfusion imaging during iontophoresis of acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) to assess endothelium-dependent and -independent microvascular vasodilatation, respectively. Microvascular endothelial function index was calculated as peak ACh/peak SNP. Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilatation in the brachial artery was evaluated, respectively, by postischemic hyperemia-induced flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) and by response to sublingual intake of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)., Results: PAPP-A was correlated with skin microvascular endothelial function index (β = 1.008 (95% CI, 0.34-1.68), r
2 = 0.17, P = 0.004). PAPP-A also correlated inversely with FMD (β = -0.052 (95% CI, -0.094 to -0.011), r2 = 0.13, P = 0.014) but did not relate to forearm endothelial function index (i.e. FMD/GTN). The results were retained in multivariate analyses including known confounding factors., Conclusions: First-trimester endothelium-dependent skin microvascular reactivity was positively related to PAPP-A levels. If confirmed, these novel findings suggest that first-trimester skin microvascular reactivity could be a useful early pregnancy marker of placental function. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd., (Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)- Published
- 2018
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