The association of body mass index with serum angiogenic markers in normal and abnormal pregnancies

Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Sep;211(3):247.e1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2014.03.020. Epub 2014 Mar 12.

Abstract

Objective: Because obesity is a risk factor for placental dysfunction, we hypothesized that maternal body mass index (BMI) would be associated with alterations in serum angiogenic markers.

Study design: We included 2399 singleton pregnancies with and without placental dysfunction in a prospective longitudinal cohort study of angiogenic markers. We modeled the relationship between categorical and continuous BMI, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), and placental growth factor (PlGF) over gestation, stratified by pregnancy outcome.

Results: In women with normal pregnancies, a higher BMI was associated with lower sFlt-1 values across gestation (P < .0001), lower PlGF in the second and third trimesters (P < .0001), and lower rate of change in PlGF (P < .0001). Similar relationships were seen between maternal BMI, sFlt-1 (P < .0001), and PlGF (P = .0005) in women with clinically evident placental dysfunction.

Conclusion: The sFlt-1 value is inversely associated with maternal BMI. The pattern of change in PlGF is also dependent on maternal BMI, indicating that obese women may have abnormalities in angiogenesis near term.

Keywords: angiogenic markers; obesity; placenta; preeclampsia; soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Body Mass Index*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Obesity / blood
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Placenta Growth Factor
  • Pregnancy / blood*
  • Pregnancy Complications / blood*
  • Pregnancy Proteins / blood*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / blood*

Substances

  • PGF protein, human
  • Pregnancy Proteins
  • Placenta Growth Factor
  • FLT1 protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1