Abstract-Deficient NO formation has been implicated in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. However, no previous study has compared the circulating nitrite concentrations in healthy pregnant women with those found in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Moreover, 2 antiangiogenic factors produced in the placenta (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and soluble endogline) may affect NO formation during pregnancy. Here, we hypothesized that lower concentrations of markers of NO formation exist in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and that inverse relationships exist between these markers and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 or soluble endogline. In this cross-sectional study, we compared 58 healthy pregnant women with 56 gestational hypertensive subjects and 45 preeclamptic patients. We measured plasma and whole blood nitrite concentrations using an ozone-based chemiluminescence assay and serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and soluble endogline concentrations using enzyme immunoassays. Whole blood nitrite levels were significantly lower in gestational hypertensive subjects and preeclamptic patients (Ϫ36% and Ϫ58%, respectively; both PϽ0.05) compared with healthy pregnant women. The plasma nitrite levels were Ϸ37% lower in both groups with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy compared with the group with normotensive pregnancies (both PϽ0.05). As expected, we found higher circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and soluble endogline concentrations in preeclampsia compared with gestational hypertensive subjects or with healthy pregnancies (both PϽ0.05). Key Words: NO Ⅲ nitrite Ⅲ whole blood nitrite Ⅲ preeclampsia Ⅲ sEng Ⅲ sFLT-1 N ormal human pregnancy is accompanied by increased blood volume that is accommodated within the cardiovascular system by systemic vasodilatation. 1 This vasodilatation involves increased NO formation, thus decreasing peripheral vascular resistance in healthy pregnant women. 2,3 On the other hand, deficient NO formation has been implicated in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. 4 -7 Indeed, previous studies compared the circulating concentrations of NO metabolites (nitriteϩnitrate) in the plasma from preeclamptic women with those found in healthy pregnant women. 8 -13 Conflicting results were reported, and some studies showed higher, 14 similar, 10,12 or lower 8 nitriteϩnitrate levels in preeclamptic women compared with healthy pregnant women. A possible explanation for these discrepancies is that nitriteϩnitrate may not accurately reflect endogenous NO formation in vivo, and there is mounting evidence that measuring the circulating concentrations of nitrite is an improved alternative to assess endogenously produced NO. [15][16][17][18][19] However, no previous study has compared the circulating nitrite concentrations in healthy pregnant women with those found in women with preeclampsia.The pathophysiology of preeclampsia is not completely known. However, there is evidence that a failure of cytotrophoblast invasion and abse...

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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association of plasma TNF-α, IL-6, and lL-10 levels and cytokine gene polymorphisms , and IL-10 (-1082 A→G, -819 T→C and -592 A→C)] in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obese patients. Subjects and methods: One hundred and two T2DM patients and 62 controls were included in this study. Cytokine plasma levels were measured by the Cytometric Bead Array method. Genotyping was carried out by the polymerase chain reaction. Results: IL-6 levels were significantly different between T2DM patients and controls. Interestingly, IL-6 levels were higher in T2DM patients with BMI > 30 kg/m 2 compared with other patients and obese controls. The genotype and allele frequencies were similar between patients and controls. In the T2DM group, the SNP IL-10 -819 T/C showed a difference between the cytokine level and genotypes: IL-10 level in the TT genotype was significantly higher when compared to CC genotype. Conclusions: These results suggest an association between IL-6 levels and obesity, and IL-10 levels and the SNP -819 T/C in T2DM. Knowledge of these variants in T2DM might contribute to a better understanding of the role of inflammation in the etiology and progression of this disease.

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