Decreased expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor and visfatin in the placental bed of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and visfatin in the third trimester placental bed of pregnancies with and without preeclampsia (PE). Material and Methods: The study group consisted of placental bed biopsy tissues obtained from pregnancies with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) PE. The normotensive controls without PE were matched for gestational age at delivery with patients with PE. The expression of VEGF and visfatin in the placental bed tissues were evaluated using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results: There was no statistical difference between the PE group and the normotensive control group in age and body mass index (BMI). The expression of VEGF and visfatin was significantly decreased in the PE group compared with the normotensive control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study showed decreased expressions of VEGF and visfatin in the third trimester placental bed of pregnancies with PE compared with the normotensive controls. This result suggests that decreased expression of these angiogenic factors in placental bed may be associated with the pathogenesis of PE.