TY - JOUR T1 - Circulating and exhaled vascular endothelial growth factor in asthmatic pregnancy JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - P3548 AU - Andras Bikov AU - Aniko Bohacs AU - Noemi Eszes AU - Zsoka Weiszhar AU - Istvan Ivancso AU - Veronika Muller AU - Janos Rigo AU - Gyorgy Losonczy AU - Lilla Tamasi AU - Ildiko Horvath Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3548.abstract N2 - Introduction: It is well known that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in asthma and pathological pregnancies. However, VEGF has not been investigated in pregnant asthmatics before.Aims: In this study we aimed to analyse systemic and airway levels of VEGF in asthmatic pregnant individuals by measuring this mediator in plasma and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples, respectively.Methods: 32 asthmatic pregnant, 29 asthmatic non-pregnant, 28 healthy pregnant and 22 healthy non-pregnant women were enrolled. Plasma VEGF was measured in all subjects and additional EBC was collected in 57 volunteers for VEGF measurements. Furthermore, plasma soluble VEGF receptor, the fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) was also determined in 86 subjects.Results: Significant differences were observed in plasma VEGF and sFlt1 among the four groups (p<0.001). Plasma VEGF levels were decreased, while sFlt1 levels were increased in both pregnant groups (p<0.01); however, no difference was found when the asthmatic groups were compared to the respective non-asthmatic groups (p>0.05). In the majority of the EBC samples VEGF levels were undetectable. Neither VEGF nor sFlt1 correlated with clinical variables (lung function, exhaled NO, asthma control, neonatal birth weight) in any group.Conclusions: Our results suggest that concomitant asthma does not affect plasma VEGF during pregnancy.The study was supported by Hungarian Respiratory Society and Hungarian National Research Fund (OTKA 68808). ER -