Serum levels of the adipokine fibroblast growth factor-21 are increased in preeclampsia

Objective: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 was recently introduced as a novel adipokine improving glucose metabolism in vitro and in vivo. In the current study, we investigated circulating FGF-21 in preeclampsia (PE), which represents a serious cardiovascular complication in pregnancy and is, therefore, associated with an increased future metabolic and cardiovascular risk for mother and newborn. Material and methods: Maternal serum levels of FGF-21 were determined in patients with PE (n = 51) as compared to healthy, age-matched controls (n = 51) during and 6 months after pregnancy using enzyme-linked immunosor…