General Obstetrics and Gynecology Obstetrics
Increased vascular endothelial cell production of interleukin-6 in severe preeclampsia☆,☆☆

https://doi.org/10.1067/mob.2003.134Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether plasma from women with severe preeclampsia stimulates the production of endothelial cell interleukin-6 production and whether vitamin E could inhibit this process. Study Design: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured in the presence of 5% plasma from women with severe preeclampsia (n = 12) or healthy pregnant women at term (n = 12), with or without 50 μmol/L vitamin E. Levels of interleukin-6 in plasma and human umbilical vein endothelial cell-conditioned media were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Interleukin-6 levels were elevated 5-fold in preeclamptic plasma compared with normal pregnant plasma (P <.05). Human umbilical vein endothelial cell interleukin-6 production was increased 25% by preeclamptic plasma compared with normal pregnant plasma (P <.005), and increased interleukin-6 production by preeclamptic plasma was inhibited by vitamin E. Conclusion: Endothelial cell activation by preeclamptic plasma stimulates interleukin-6 production, which is inhibited by vitamin E. These findings provide a potential cellular mechanism for the beneficial effects of antioxidant therapy in preeclampsia. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:740-4.)

Section snippets

Preeclamptic and normal pregnant plasma samples

Blood samples were collected into standard sodium heparin-coated tubes from women with normal term pregnancy (n = 15) and from women with severe preeclampsia (n = 15) with the approval of the Institutional Internal Review Board of Virginia Commonwealth University. Healthy pregnant patients had no chronic or acute physical illness and were taking no medications. Severe preeclampsia was defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines and included blood pressure

Results

The demographics of pregnancies with and without preeclampsia were compared with respect to maternal age (24.7 ± 4.5 years old vs 25.9 ± 6.3 years old [mean ± SEM]), gravidity, parity, gestational age (35.7 ± 3.9 weeks vs 38.1 ± 2.8 weeks), mean neonatal birth weight (2423 ± 989 g vs 2974 ± 694 g), and placental weight (590 ± 258 g vs 660 ± 152 g). Although maternal age, gestational age, gravidity, parity, birth weight, and placenta weight were noticeably lower in the pregnancies with

Comment

This is the first report to demonstrate that plasma from patients with severe preeclampsia stimulates endothelial IL-6 production. These findings suggest that the increase in circulating levels of IL-6 in women with preeclampsia that was demonstrated in this study and previous studies results from increased vascular endothelial cell IL-6 production. Although the placenta produces significant quantities of IL-6, it is an unlikely source of the increased circulating IL-6 in preeclampsia caused by

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    ☆

    Supported in part by Clinical Research Center grant No. MO1-RR00065, National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health and by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (S. W. K., No. R01 HD35640 and K24 HD40252).

    ☆☆

    Reprint requests: Scott Kauma, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia, 1101 E Marshal St, Sanger Hall, Rm 11-025, Box 980034, Richmond, VA 23298. E-mail: [email protected]

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    Copyright © 2003 Published by Mosby, Inc.