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- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Association between angiogenic factors and signs of arterial aging in women with pre-eclampsia
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. - : Wiley. - 0960-7692 .- 1469-0705. ; 50, s. 93-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. In PE there is a substantial increase in levels of the anti-angiogenic factor soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt1) and decreased levels of the pro-angiogenic factor placental growth factor (PlGF). Elevated levels of sFlt1 are also found in individuals with CVD. The aims of this study were to assess sFlt1, PlGF and the sFlt1/PlGF ratio and their correlation with signs of arterial aging by measuring common carotid artery (CCA) intima and media thicknesses and their ratio (I/M ratio) in women with and without PE.METHODS: Serum sFlt1 and PlGF levels were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, and CCA intima and media thicknesses were estimated using high-frequency (22 MHz) ultrasonography in 55 women at PE diagnosis and 64 women with normal pregnancies at a similar gestational age, with reassessment one year postpartum. A thick intima, thin media and a high I/M ratio indicate a less healthy arterial wall.RESULTS: During pregnancy, higher levels of sFlt1, lower levels of PlGF and thicker intima, thinner media and higher I/M ratios were found in women with PE vs. controls (all p < 0.0001). Further, sFlt1 and the sFlt1/PlGF ratio were positively correlated with intima thickness and I/M ratio (all p < 0.0001), but negatively correlated with media thickness (p = 0.002 and 0.03, respectively). About one year postpartum, levels of sFlt1 and the sFlt1/PlGF ratio had decreased in both groups, but compared with controls women in the PE group still had higher levels (p = 0.001 and 0.02, respectively). Further, sFlt1 levels and the sFlt1/PlGF ratio were still positively correlated with intima thickness and I/M ratio.CONCLUSIONS: Higher sFlt1 levels and sFlt1/PlGF ratios in women with PE were positively associated with signs of arterial aging during pregnancy. About one year postpartum sFlt1 levels and the sFlt1/PlGF ratios were still higher in the PE group, and also associated with the degree of arterial aging.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Dimethylarginines correlate to common carotid artery wall layer dimensions and cardiovascular risk factors in pregnant women with/without preeclampsia : A group comparative study
- 2021
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Ingår i: European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology. - : Elsevier. - 0301-2115 .- 1872-7654. ; 258, s. 288-293
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Asymmetric- and symmetric dimethylarginines (ADMA, SDMA) are elevated in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific syndrome and is an independent risk factor for subsequent CVD. Aims were to investigate whether ADMA, SDMA levels and L-arginine/ADMA and I.arginine/SDMA ratios during pregnancy and their changes from pregnancy to postpartum are associated to arterial wall layer dimensions and cardiovascular risk factors in women with and without preeclampsia. Study design: Dimethylarginines were analyzed by LC-MS, and the common-carotid-artery (CCA) intima and media thicknesses were estimated using 22-MHz non-invasive ultrasonography in women with preeclampsia (cases = 48) and normal pregnancies (controls = 58) in similar gestational age, with reassessment one-year postpartum. A thick intima, thin media and high intima/media ratio (I/M) indicates a less healthy arterial wall. Results: The median age of cases and controls was 30 years. During pregnancy, women with preeclampsia had higher plasma ADMA, SDMA and lower t-arginine/ADMA and L-arginine/SDMA (all p <0.01) than women with normal pregnancies. Further, ADMA, SDMA, L-arginine/ADMA and L-arginine/SDMA correlated to intima thickness (r(s) = 0.33/0.33/-0.33/-0.35 and p <0.01), UM (r(s) = 0.26/0.28/-0.22/-0.26 and p <0.05) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (rs = 0.43/0.42/-0.39/-0.40 and p <0.0001). Changes in ADMA, SDMA and t-arginine/SDMA from pregnancy to postpartum correlated to changes in intima thickness (r(s) = 0.22/0.32/-0.21 and p < 0.05/<0.01/<0.05), I/M (r(s) = 0.22/0.31/0.08 and p < 0.05/<0.01/=0.43) and MAP (r(s) = 0.31/0.53/-0.25 and p < 0.01/<0.001/<0.05). No correlations were found for conventional CCA intima-media-thickness. Conclusions: Dimethylarginines were associated to signs of adverse effects on arterial wall layer dimensions and cardiovascular risk factors in women with and without preeclampsia, during pregnancy and to their changes from pregnancy up to one-year postpartum. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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| 4. |
- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Serum Pentraxin 3 is associated with signs of arterial alteration in women with preeclampsia.
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5273 .- 1874-1754. ; 241, s. 417-422
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) in pregnancy is a state of exaggerated inflammation and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. Levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a novel inflammation marker, are increased during PE and in individuals with CVD. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether serum PTX3 in women with PE is associated with adverse arterial effects; a thicker intima and higher intima/media (I/M) ratio in the common carotid artery (CCA).METHODS: Serum PTX3 levels were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, and individual CCA intima and media thicknesses were estimated by 22MHz non-invasive ultrasound in 55 women at PE diagnosis and 64 women with normal pregnancies at a similar gestational age, and about one year postpartum. A thick intima, thin media and high I/M ratio indicate a less healthy artery wall.RESULTS: During pregnancy serum PTX3 correlated positively with intima thickness and I/M ratio but negatively with media thickness (all p<0.0001), indicating adverse arterial effects. About one year postpartum, PTX3 levels had decreased in both groups and there remained no significant group difference or significant correlation with CCA wall layers.CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of serum PTX3 in women with PE were significantly associated with signs of adverse arterial effects during pregnancy, but not one year postpartum, supporting the rapid dynamics of PTX3.
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| 5. |
- Naessen, Tord, et al.
(författare)
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Peripheral Vascular Ageing in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension as Assessed by Common Carotid Artery Intima Thickness and Intima/Media Thickness Ratio : An Investigation Using Non-Invasive High-Resolution Ultrasound
- 2023
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Ingår i: Heart, Lung and Circulation. - : Elsevier. - 1443-9506 .- 1444-2892. ; 32:3, s. 338-347
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH; World Heath Organization [WHO] Group 1) is associated with increased pulmonary arterial pressure and resistance, with pulmonary vascular remodelling. The vascular anatomy of the systemic arteries has been less well studied.MethodNineteen (19) patients with PAH, confirmed by right heart catheterisation (RHC), 14 patients with left ventricular heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (LVrEF), and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled. Common carotid artery (CCA) intima thickness, intima/media (I/M) thickness ratio, and intima-media thickness (IMT) were assessed using non-invasive ultrasound (22 MHz centre frequency).ResultsThe CCA intima thickness was correlated with several RHC variables (all p<0.05). The intima was 56% thicker (+0.05 mm; 95% CI 0.03, 0.06; p<0.0001) and the I/M thickness ratio was 128% greater (+0.21; 95% CI 0.13, 0.28; p<0.0001) in patients with PAH than healthy subjects. These values were also significantly higher than in patients with LVrEF. In ROC curve analysis, the c-values for CCA intima thickness (0.92) and I/M ratio (0.87), but not for IMT, correctly indicated which individuals belonged to the PAH or healthy control groups. The CCA IMT showed no corresponding significant group differences or associations and was of no use according to receiver operating curve analysis.ConclusionsPatients with PAH displayed signs of peripheral vascular remodelling, challenging the common opinion that vascular changes in PAH are restricted to the lung vasculature. Correlations with cardiopulmonary variables from RHC support peripheral vascular coupling and the association with vascular ageing. Results from this pilot study warrant further confirmation.
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