BACKGROUND: Women who had preeclampsia (a history of preeclampsia) have a >4-fold risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared with women who had an uncomplicated pregnancy (history of healthy pregnancy). Despite the remission of clinical symptoms after pregnancy, vascular endothelial dysfunction persists postpartum, mediated in part by exaggerated Ang II (angiotensin II)–mediated constriction. However, the role of vasodilatory AT2Rs (Ang II type 2 receptors) in this dysfunction is unknown. We examined the functional role of AT2R in the microvasculature postpartum and whether acute activation of AT2R improves microvascular endothelial function after preeclampsia. METHODS: Overall, 24 women (n=12/group) participated. We measured cutaneous vascular conductance responses to (1) graded infusion of compound 21 (AT2R agonist; 10−14–10−8M) alone or with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (NO synthase inhibitor; 15 mM) and (2) a standardized local heating protocol in control and 10−11M com

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate total circulating PlGF (placental growth factor) and free PlGF concentrations to provide insights into the mechanisms of decreased PlGF noted in preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective single-center study in pregnant women receiving care for suspected preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction. Serum angiogenic proteins (sFLT1 [soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase] and free PlGF) were measured on an automated platform as part of standard-of-care. Total PlGF concentrations in the serum were directly measured using a validated biochemical procedure that dissociated circulating sFLT1 and PlGF complexes. Small for gestational age (SGA) was defined by birthweight ≤10th percentile. RESULTS: Of the 407 women studied, 155 women did not develop preeclampsia or SGA (control group), 111 women developed SGA without preeclampsia (SGA group), 71 women developed preeclampsia without SGA (preeclampsia group), an

BACKGROUND: A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, but the potential mechanistic links are unknown. METHODS: We recruited 2 groups of women, 1 during pregnancy and another at least 2 years after delivery. Cases had a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, and controls had a normotensive pregnancy. The pregnancy cohort had study visits antepartum and postpartum; the mid-life group made a single study visit. We assayed 7288 plasma proteins, applied machine learning to identify proteomics signatures at each time point, and performed enrichment analyses to identify relevant biological pathways. RESULTS: The pregnancy cohort (58 cases and 46 controls) had a mean age of 33.8 years, and the mid-life group (71 cases and 74 controls) had a mean age of 40.8 years. Protein levels differed significantly between cases and controls at each time point: 6233 antepartum, 189 postpartum, and 224 in mid-life. The postpartum protein sign