Serum levels of endoglin were measured in pre-eclamptic women in their third trimester and in women in their second trimester who later developed preeclampsia. Placental levels of endoglin at birth were also determined in preeclamptic women and healthy controls. Serum endoglin was significantly higher in pre-eclamptic women in the third trimester than in controls (median 35.15 versus 10.35 ng/ml, respectively) and in women with severe compared with mild pre-eclampsia (median 51.68 versus 20.99 ng/ml, respectively). Placental endoglin was also significantly higher in pre-eclamptic women than controls (median 26.24 versus 9.21 ng/mg, respectively) and in women with severe compared with mild pre-eclampsia (median 28.77 versus 13.38 ng/mg, respectively). Pregnant women in the second trimester who eventually developed pre-eclampsia had significantly higher serum endoglin than age- and gestational age-matched controls (median 5.90 versus 5.20 ng/ml, respectively). These findings suggest that endoglin plays an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
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