Objective: The concentrations of complement proteins (adipsin, C3a, and C5a) and soluble
endoglin (sENG) in the plasma were measured in this study, and their value as early-pregnancy
predictors and potential diagnostic marker of preeclampsia was assessed, respectively.
Experimental design: Plasma samples were obtained from healthy and preeclampsia pregnant women
before delivery for a cross-sectional study. Plasma samples were collected from healthy and
preeclampsia pregnant women throughout pregnancy and postpartum for a follow-up study.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to detect plasma levels of several complement
proteins (adipsin, C3a, and C5a) and sENG.
Results: The plasma levels of adipsin, C5a, and sENG were significantly increased before
delivery in pregnant women with preeclampsia. During pregnancy, the plasma adipsin, C5a, and
sENG levels were increased from the third trimester in healthy pregnant women; plasma adipsin
levels remained stable after delivery, while C3a levels increased in the second trimester and
remained stable afterward. Furthermore, levels of adipsin, C5a, and sENG were higher in
preeclampsia patients at different stages of pregnancy; the C3a level presents a similar change
and no difference was found in the third trimester. In the first trimester, receiver-operating
curve (ROC) curve analysis showed that adipsin (AUC, 0.83 ± 0.06, P=0.001) and sENG (AUC,
0.74 ±
0.09, P=0.021) presented high value as predictors of early pregnancy.
Conclusions: Adipsin is likely a novel plasma biomarker to monitor the increased risk of
preeclampsia in early pregnancy. Moreover, the increased plasma levels of adipsin, C5a, and sENG
before delivery may be associated with preeclampsia.
Keywords: adipsin; biomarker; complement system; preeclampsia; sENG.
Reference
Liu, M., Luo, X., Xu, Q., Yu, H., Gao, L., Zhou, R., & Wang, T. (2021). Adipsin of the Alternative Complement Pathway Is a Potential Predictor for Preeclampsia in Early Pregnancy. Frontiers in Immunology, 12.