Concentration of free vascular endothelial growth factor and its soluble receptor, sFlt-1 in the maternal and fetal circulations of normal term pregnancies at high and low altitudes.

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is regulated by hypoxia that is essential for placental development. It is antagonized by a soluble form of its receptor (sFlt-1). The purpose of this study was to measure these factors in the maternal and the cord bloods, at low and high altitude.