[Measurement of the serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha and its soluble receptors in normal and pre-eclamptic pregnant patients]

Abstract

A multicenter prospective clinical study was designed with the purpose of measure tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and tumor necrosis factor alpha-receptors p55 and p75 (sTNF alpha-p55 and sTNF alpha-p75) in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia (PE). Blood samples were collected without anticoagulant from 30 pregnant women, matched for chronological and gestational age, 15 healthy pregnant (group A) and 15 women with PE (group B). TNF alpha was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and sTNF alpha-p55 and sTNF alpha-p75 were measured by amplified immunoenzymometric assay. The statistical analysis was carried out using the paired t Student test. The values of TNF alpha were 7.07 +/- 1.63 pg/mL (mean +/- SE) in group A and 16.43 +/- 2.92 in group B pg/mL (p < 0.05).); concentrations of sTNF alpha-p55 were 2.69 +/- 0.17 ng/mL and 5.18 +/- 0.54 ng/mL in groups A and B respectively (p < 0.001); sTNF alpha-p75 reached levels of 5.94 +/- 0.27 ng/mL in healthy pregnant and 9.02 +/- 0.66 ng/mL in patients with PE (p < 0.001). TNF alpha, sTNF alpha-p55 and sTNF alpha-p75 were significantly higher in preeclamptic women than in normotensive controls. These findings indicate that the levels of TNF alpha, el TNF alpha-p55 and TNF alpha-p75 were elevated in PE. Further research is needed to identify modifiable risk factors for the excessive synthesis and release of TNF alpha in pregnancy, and to assess whether the lowering of TNF alpha concentrations in pregnancy alters the incidence and severity of PE.