Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2009) 19 P300

SFEBES2009 Poster Presentations Reproduction (22 abstracts)

Plasma kisspeptin levels in hypertensive diseases of pregnancy and the identification of kisspeptin in amniotic fluid

G Nijher 1 , W Dhillo 1 , O Chaudhri 1 , K Murphy 1 , R Ramachandran 1 , A Fowler 2 , K Chinthapalli 2 , M Patterson 1 , E Thompson 1 , C Williamson 2 , S Kumar 2 , M Ghatei 1 & S Bloom 1


1Imperial College London, London, UK; 2Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, London, UK.


Kisspeptin, encoded by the KiSS-1 gene activates the G protein coupled receptor 54 (GPR54). The kisspeptin/GPR54 system plays an essential role regulating reproductive development. The human placenta has a high expression of both the KiSS-1 and GPR54 genes. Plasma kisspeptin levels increase several thousand fold in pregnancy. The physiological role of kisspeptin in pregnancy is not clear. Kisspeptin causes vasoconstriction during in vitro studies and may play a role in hypertension in pregnancy. Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia (PET) are associated with increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Kisspeptin levels have not previously been investigated in hypertensive diseases of pregnancy.

This study investigated whether there were identifiable differences in plasma kisspeptin levels in women with hypertensive diseases of pregnancy compared to normal pregnant controls. In addition we determined if kisspeptin was present in amniotic fluid. Local ethical committee approval was obtained. Blood samples were taken during the third trimester from 21 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), 8 with PET and 78 from controls. 46 volunteers due to undergo diagnostic amniocentesis were recruited. Kisspeptin-IR was measured in plasma and amniotic fluid using an established radioimmunoassay (RIA). Kisspeptin-IR was characterized in plasma and amniotic fluid using fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). There were no significant differences in plasma kisspeptin levels between women with hypertensive diseases of pregnancy and normal controls (plasma kisspeptin (pmol/l): pregnant controls 2895±152 (n=78); PET 3128±502 (n=8); PIH 2682±306 (n=21). Kisspeptin immunoreactivity was present in amniotic fluid (104±14 pmol/l). In plasma and amniotic fluid, the kisspeptin RIA detected a single immunoreactive peak corresponding to synthetic kisspeptin-54. Our results suggest that there are no demonstrable differences in plasma kisspeptin levels in women with hypertensive diseases of pregnancy compared to controls. This study is the first to report kisspeptin levels in amniotic fluid.

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