Anteparturn and Postpartum Thrombomodulin Levels in

OBJEcTrVE: To determine whether changes in plasma levels of thrombomodulin from antepartum to postpartum reflect the postpartum regression ofpreeclampsia. METHODS: Twenty-four preeclamptic women and 34 healthy, normotensive women with singleton pregnancies were studied in the third trimester. Plasma levels of thrombomodulin in the antepartum and postpartum periods were measured by a two-site immunoenzymatic assay. Two-tailed Student t test and paired-comparison t test were usedfor statistical analyses. The results were expressed as mean ± standard error. RESULTS: Antepartum plasma thrombomodulin levels in preeclampsia were significantly higher than postpartum levels (71.3 ± 8.5 versus 55.5 ± 5.4 ng/mL; P =.006), which was not seen in the normotensive controls (49.9 ± 3. 1 versus 44.2 ± 3.8 ng/mL; P>.05). Antepartum plasma levels of thrombomodulin in preeclamptic women were significantly higher than those in the normotensive controls (P.01). However, postpartum plasma levels of thrombomodulin in preeclamptic women were not significantly higher than those in the normotensive controls P>.05). CONCLUSION: Significantly decreased postpartum plasma thrombomodulin levels in preeclamptic preg-nancies strongly correspond to clinical postpartum regression ofpreecdampsia. (J Soc Gynecol Invest 1997