Objective: To determine whether plasma levels of fibrinogen and the placental tissue distributions of fibrinogen and histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) differ between early- and late-onset preeclampsia.
Design: The study comprised 18 women with early-onset (gestational weeks 24-32) and 19 women with late-onset (gestational weeks 35-42) preeclampsia. As controls concerning the plasma levels of fibrinogen, we used samples from non-pregnant fertile women, healthy pregnant women at gestational weeks 24-32 and healthy pregnant women at gestational weeks 35-42. Placental samples from women with healthy pregnancies at gestational weeks 35-42 served as controls in the immunohistochemical staining.
Setting: Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala.
Methods: Plasma fibrinogen levels were analyzed and the placental tissue expression of fibrinogen and HRG determined by immunohistochemistry.
Results: Plasma level of fibrinogen was increased in early-onset, but not late-onset, preeclampsia. Levels of fibrinogen were significantly lower, and that of HRG significantly higher, in placentas from women with early-onset preeclampsia as compared with control placentas (p = 0.01 and 0.001).
Conclusions: HRG and fibrinogen might be involved in the hypercoagulability and the angiogenic imbalance seen in early-onset preeclampsia.