Soluble P-selectin levels during normal pregnancy: a longitudinal study.

Objective: To investigate soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) levels and platelet parameters in normal pregnant women compared with non-pregnant control subjects. Design: A longitudinal case-control study. Setting: Obstetric outpatient clinic in the Jubilee Maternity Hospital, Belfast. Population: One hundred and twenty normal pregnant women and 41 non-pregnant age matched control subjects. Main outcome measures Plasma sP-selectin as a measure of platelet activation in normal pregnancy. Methods: The plasma concentration of sP-selectin in pregnant women sampled at 12, 20 and 35 weeks of gestation, and, in a subgroup at 3 days post-partum, and non-pregnant controls sampled in parallel, was determined using a commercial quantitative sandwich immunoassay kit. Platelet parameters on each blood sample were also recorded using a SYSMEX SE 9500 analyser. Main outcome measures: Plasma sP-selectin as a measure of platelet activation in normal pregnancy. Results: Soluble P-selectin was significantly higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant control subjects at 20 and 35 weeks of gestation, (p