Calprotectin, a marker of inflammation, is elevated in the maternal but not in the fetal circulation in preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia is associated with excessive inflammatory response compared with normal pregnancy. Calprotectin is an inflammation marker not previously explored in preeclampsia.

STUDY DESIGN: Calprotectin in maternal and fetal plasma and amniotic fluid was investigated at cesarean delivery in normal pregnancies and preeclampsia. C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type1 (PAI-1) were also analyzed.

RESULTS: Maternal median calprotectin, CRP, and PAI-1 concentrations were elevated in preeclampsia (1081 microg/L, 4.8 mg/L, and 51.0 U/mL) compared with control levels (552 microg/L, 3.8 mg/L, and 36.5 U/mL). In the umbilical vein, there were no differences between preeclampsia and controls regarding calprotectin and CRP levels. Maternal calprotectin concentrations correlate with CRP and PAI-1 values for the total study group, but a statistical significant correlation was not found in the preeclamptic group.

CONCLUSION: Calprotectin is elevated in the maternal circulation in preeclamptic pregnancies. We found no evidence of inflammatory response in the fetal circulation in preeclampsia.