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 20 July 2008 18:30 BST

Breakthrough claimed in finding preeclampsia cure

Thursday, 07 Sep 2006 14:24
Scientists claim important steps in tackling preeclampsia

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US scientists claim that they have made important steps in developing a cure for preeclampsia.

The condition is a leading cause of death in women and often occurs without warning, affecting roughly five per cent of all pregnancies. Mild symptoms can progress to eclampsia - dangerously high blood pressure levels and protein in the urine – which may result in convulsions and death.

Typically occurring after 20 weeks into the pregnancy, the only cure for it is delivery of the baby.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in the US have found that high levels of two proteins in the blood of pregnant women seem to indicate the subsequent development of preeclampsia.

The proteins, which interfere with the growth and function of blood vessels, also indicate the development of high blood pressure during pregnancy.

"This finding appears to be an important step in developing a cure for preeclampsia," said Dr Elias Zerhouni, director of the NIH.

"It may also provide the basis for predicting whether or not a woman will develop the disorder."

Abnormally high levels of soluble endoglin and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) appear to deprive the blood vessels of the substances needed to keep the lining of the blood vessels healthy.

Without these substances, the vessels sicken and die, resulting in blood pressure increasing and protein being leaked into tissues and urine.

The researchers believe that detecting high levels of soluble endoglin and sFlt1 could be especially helpful in predicting preeclampsia, and that they could also help to distinguish it from conditions such as chronic high blood pressure, kidney disease and other conditions that can produce symptoms similar to preeclampsia.

"We've found specific molecules that appear to be causing the clinical signs of preeclampsia and so we now have an idea which molecules we would need to interfere with to treat the disease," said co-author Dr Levine.

Possible treatments might involve reducing levels of sFlt1 or soluble endoglin or adding more of the molecules that they remove from the blood stream, the researchers argue.

They conclude, however, that attempts to develop a drug to do this would have to proceed with caution as it is possible that restoring normal blood pressure and blood flow to the mother's circulatory system might deprive the foetus of blood.End of story


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