Analysis of plasma elastase levels in early and late onset preeclampsia

Background: Circulatory neutrophils have been reported to be activated in preeclampsia. It has been suggested that maternal plasma levels of elastase may serve as a possible cell-free marker to quantify such activation. Although plasma elastase levels have been found to be elevated in cases with manifest preeclampsia and eclampsia, this has not yet been examined in cases with early and late onset preeclampsia. We have now examined this aspect. Methods: In this retrospective study, maternal plasma samples were examined from eight cases with early onset preeclampsia (< 34 weeks of gestation), eight cases with late onset preeclampsia (> 34 weeks of gestation) and an equal number of gestational age matched normotensive term controls. Plasma concentrations of elastase were measured by ELISA using a commercially available assay. Results: Plasma elastase concentrations were significantly elevated the preeclampsia study group when compared to the normotensive control group (median = 139.2 ng/ml versus median = 72.1 ng/ml; P = 0.0025). These elevations remained significant when the preeclampsia study group was stratified into case with early onset preeclampsia (median = 118.8 ng/ml versus median = 62.2 ng/ml; P = 0.03), but jailed failed to attain significance for those cases with late onset preeclampsia (median = 181.3 ng/ ml versus median = 86.3 ng/ml; P = 0.061). Conclusions: Our data indicate that elastase levels are elevated in both early and late onset forms of preeclampsia, and imply that the activation of neutrophils may be more acute in the former than in the latter (238 words). © Springer-Verlag 2005.