OBJECTIVE The normal suppression of vascular sensitivity to angiotensin II (Ang II) in pregnancy is lost in pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). To examine the mechanism, we investigated Ang II receptor subtype 1 (AT1R) and 2 (AT2R) expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). METHODS The HUVEC and VSMC were incubated with serum from n...

BACKGROUND Physical and hormonal changes during pregnancy alter breathing patterns of pregnant women. It is possible that occult disordered breathing during sleep may be a risk factor for the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and preeclampsia. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to determine the incidence of self-reported snoring in pregnant women, and to investigate the relationship of s...

PURPOSE In this study, we aimed to investigate the perinatal clinical conditions of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants born to mothers with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) focusing on the effects of early postnatal neutropenia. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of 191 VLBW infants who were born at Konyang University Hospital, between March 2003 and May 2011. We retrospectively an...

We determined plasma human atrial natriuretic peptide (hANP) levels in normal pregnancy and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). The plasma hANP levels slightly decreased in the first trimester of normal pregnancy and tended to recover as pregnancy advanced, although these changes were slight. However, the plasma hANP level in puerperium was higher than that in the third trimester of normal pr...

Women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) are characterized by relatively greater blood pressure sensitivity to exogenous angiotensin II (Ang II) than normotensive pregnant women. Evidence suggests that this is due to an alteration in Ang II receptor sites. However, the question of whether this represents an increase in receptor number or affinity remains unanswered. To answer this questi...

Objective: To investigate newborns’ sizes associated with abruptio placentae (AP) and to assess the association of a history of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and low birth weight with the occurrence of AP and vice versa. Design: A cohort study based on the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Results: AP in the first birth was associated with higher rates of AP, small for gestational age (S...

OBJECTIVES Our earlier studies have highlighted that an altered one carbon metabolism (vitamin B12, folic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid) is associated with preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is also known to be associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. The current study examines whether maternal folic acid, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation given either individually or in com...

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) may increase oxidative stress in women with PIH, and to explore the mechanisms by which PIH may increase oxidative stress and potential free radical damage. METHODS Seventy women with PIH and seventy women with uncomplicated normotensive pregnancy (UNP) whose age, nutritional conditions, levels of hemoglobin and albumin wer...

Reports indicate that pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is known to have long term adverse effects both in the mother and offspring. At present, the pathogenesis of PIH is incompletely understood. Recent studies on microRNA (miRNA) offer the possibility for developing a new class of molecular markers for diagnosis of PIH. However, the function of miRNAs in the development of PIH remains unkn...