Increased leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium in preeclampsia is inhibited by antioxidants.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that plasma from women with preeclampsia increases leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelial cells and that antioxidants inhibit this effect.

Study Design: Plasma from 12 women with severe preeclampsia and 12 with normal pregnancy was tested in an in vitro leukocyte-endothelium adhesion assay in the presence or absence of vitamin E, vitamin C, or N-acetylcysteine.

Results: Preeclamptic plasma significantly increased monocyte (U937 cells) and T-cell (Jurkat) adhesion to human umbilical vein (HUVEC) and microvascular endothelial cells, compared with normal pregnant plasma. The antioxidants vitamin E, vitamin C, and N-acetylcysteine significantly inhibited monocyte adhesion to HUVEC in the presence of preeclamptic but not normal pregnant plasma. Increased adhesion in response to preeclamptic plasma was not mediated through a protein kinase C (PKC) mechanism, because the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I had no effect on adhesion in the presence of preeclamptic plasma.

Conclusion: Severe preeclampsia is associated with increased leukocyte-endothelium adhesion and clinically useful antioxidants can inhibit this effect.