MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE Serum levels of leptin and IP-10 in preeclampsia compared to controls Michail Kalinderis • Alexis Papanikolaou • Kallirhoe Kalinderi • Timoleon-Achilleas Vyzantiadis • Aliki Ioakimidou • Basil C. Tarlatzis Received: 24 November 2014 / Accepted: 9 February 2015 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015 Abstract Purpose Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific syn- drome with a complex, yet elusive, etiology. The produc- tion of a variety of factors probably implicated in diverse pathways may trigger endothelial dysfunction leading to PE pathogenesis. The aim of the present study was to in- vestigate and compare the concentrations of leptin and interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), factors characterized by inflammatory, immunomodulatory and angiogenic activities, and to evaluate their possible inter- action in women with normotensive pregnancy and PE. Methods The study was carried out on a total of 58 pregnant women, 29 women with PE and 29 controls. Serum leptin and IP-10 levels were determined by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay. Results Serum leptin levels were significantly increased in women with PE compared to controls and this difference was stronger in women with severe PE (p \ 0.001). Although IP-10 serum concentrations were elevated in our preeclamptic women, this difference was not statistically significant. No correlation was found between leptin and IP-10. Conclusions The results of the present study support a significant role of leptin in PE; however, this association was independent from serum IP-10 levels, suggesting that there is no crucial interplay between these two proteins in PE. Keywords Preeclampsia leptin Á IP-10 Á Inflammation Á Angiogenesis Introduction Preeclampsia (PE) is a common disease of human preg- nancy and a major cause of maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality [1]. PE is characterized by hypertension and proteinuria both of which appear in the second half of pregnancy, in a previously normotensive woman. The placenta has a fundamental role in PE, as the disease occurs only in the presence of placental tissue, whereas its symptoms resolve after delivery [2]. The exact mechanisms implicated in PE pathogenesis remain currently elusive; however, shallow endovascular cytotrophoblast invasion in the spiral arteries, oxidative stress and the release of var- ious factors leading to endothelial dysfunction are believed to be crucial events in PE pathophysiology. Among them, multiple inflammatory and angiogenic factors seem to be of major importance, as PE has been associated with exces- sive inflammatory responses [3, 4] and eminent anti-an- giogenic procedures [5]. Leptin was originally described as an adipocyte hor- mone that regulates food consumption and energy balance [6]. Nowadays, leptin acts more than an anti-obesity M. Kalinderis Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington, UK A. Papanikolaou (&) Á B. C. Tarlatzis First Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece e-mail: papalex@med.auth.gr K. Kalinderi Department of General Biology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece e-mail: roey111@hotmail.com T.-A. Vyzantiadis Á A. Ioakimidou First Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece 123 Arch Gynecol Obstet DOI 10.1007/s00404-015-3659-4