Qurat-ul Ain, Nazish Jamil, Amna Irum, Ghazal Mansoor, Hassan Jamil, Noor-ul Ain.
Levels of Placental Growth Factor (PLGF) in Preeclamptic Gravid Women Taking Methyldopa.
J Sharif Med Dent Coll Jan ;5(2):60-4.

Objective: To estimate the serum levels of pro-angiogenic placental growth factor (PLGF) in preeclamptic gravid women taking methyldopa at different gestational ages in Sharif Medical City Hospital (SMCH), Lahore. Methodology: This cross-sectional comparative study was performed over a period of six months after approval by the ethical committee of the institution. A total of 62 gravid women with gestational age between 18 weeks to term (40 weeks) presenting to the Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department of Sharif Medical City Hospital (SMCH) were enrolled in the study. They were categorized into 41 women with preeclampsia and 21 gravid normotensive subjects (as a control group) by stratified sampling technique. After obtaining informed written consent, a 3 ml blood sample was taken using aseptic measures and serum PLGF levels were estimated using human soluble PLGF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Results: The average serum concentration of PLGF was higher (536 77 ng/L) in preeclamptic gravid women than normotensive gravid women (206 29 ng/L). A statistically significant difference was observed in both groups (p=0.004). The levels of PLGF were increased in gravid women with preeclampsia during 18-28 and 29-35 weeks of pregnancy whereas the PLGF level was decreased during 36-40 weeks in preeclamptic women. Conclusion: It has been concluded that the serum levels of pro-angiogenic factor PLGF were higher in gravid women with preeclampsia taking methyldopa than normotensive pregnant women. This is credited to the use of alpha methyldopa in these patients. This study suggests that alpha methyldopa has a precise positive effect in increasing PLGF levels and improving placental & endothelial cell function in preeclamptic gravid women. Keywords: Pro-angiogenic factor. Placental growth factor. PLGF. Preeclampsia. Alpha methyldopa.

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