Objective: To test the hypothesis that preeclampsia is associated with increased endothelial cell chemokine production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 necessary for monocyte recruitment to the vascular endothelium.
Methods: Plasma was collected from women with severe preeclampsia and normal pregnant women at term and measured for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-8, and lipid peroxide levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and malondialdehyde assays. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured with 5% plasma from normal or preeclamptic patients and the media assayed for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 production.
Results: In women with severe preeclampsia, plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-8, and lipid peroxides were elevated (1.5-fold, 2.5-fold, and 4.5-fold higher, respectively) compared with normal pregnant women. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured with plasma from preeclamptic women significantly increased the production of both monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (2.3-fold) and interleukin-8 (1.5-fold) compared with plasma from normal pregnant women. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 production was decreased by the antioxidant vitamin E in human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with preeclamptic plasma, suggesting that the production of these cytokines may be regulated by signaling mechanisms sensitive to oxidative stress.
Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that circulating factors in the plasma of women with preeclampsia activate endothelial cell monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 production, and although not directly examined in this study, may increase monocyte adherence to the vascular endothelium.