New Clues to Preeclampsia

Article from the Wall Street Journal, "New Clues to Preeclampsia"

By ANN LUKITS

Scientists have identified an enzyme that could lead to new treatments for preeclampsia, a potentially fatal condition of pregnancy, according to a study in the journal Hypertension. Preeclampsia develops in about 7% of U.S. pregnancies. Dangerously high blood pressure, high urinary protein and increased blood-clot formation are common symptoms.

Researchers in Virginia conducted genetic tests on blood-vessel tissue from 16 healthy pregnant women and 22 with preeclampsia, all between 28 and 38 weeks gestation. Compared with the healthy pregnant women, preeclampsia subjects had significantly increased levels of thromboxane synthase, an enzyme associated with increased blood pressure and clot formation. Examination of dyed enzyme antibodies showed the enzyme was present in 95% of blood-vessel samples from the preeclampsia patients and 25% of non-preeclampsia samples.


Carl Wiens
Significantly higher activity of a gene associated with the enzyme, TBXAS1, was also found in the preeclampsia samples. Researchers traced the enzyme activity to changes in the promoter region of the gene that controls gene expression or activity.

Blocking or inhibiting the enzyme could form the basis for new treatments for preeclampsia, researchers said. Folic acid supplements also could protect against adverse DNA changes that could lead to preeclampsia, they suggested.

Caveat: There may be other factors that regulate the TBXAS1 gene promoter, researchers said.