Investigation of First Trimester Serum Vasohibin-1, Vasohibin-2, Cardiotrophin-1 and Endocan Concentrations in Predicting Adverse Perinatal Outcomes

Previous animal model studies in the literature have shown that vasohibin-1 released in endothelial cells inhibits angiogenesis, while vasohibin-2 stimulates angiogenesis. Additionally, immunohistochemical studies have shown that vasohibin-2 plays a role in the cellular fusion of trophoblasts in the placenta to form syncytiotrophoblasts.

Studies in the literature have shown that cardiotrophin-1 is expressed in cardiac myocytes and vascular endothelial cells and stimulates the synthesis and secretion of endothelin-1 in endothelial cells through the gp130 signaling pathway. Since endothelin 1 plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone, cardiotrophin-1 can be considered to act as an endothelium-derived biological factor, possibly involved in the regulation of vascular tone under normal physiological conditions or secondary to pathological processes.

Studies in the literature have shown that maternal serum endocan levels are higher in pregnant women whose pregnancies were complicated by preeclampsia than in normotensive pregnant women, and that the endocan molecule may be effective in the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia, especially if it develops early.

In the light of this above-mentioned information, we aim to investigate whether serum vasohibin-1, vasohibin-2, cardiotrophin-1 and endocan concentrations measured during the 11th to 14th weeks of pregnancy can be used to predict preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth and gestational diabetes mellitus.