Clinical Usefulness of Elevated Plasma Homocyst (e) ine Levels in Nulliparous Pregnant Women With Preeclampsia before Their Delivery as a Risk Factor

Shin, B S; Kim, B Y; Choi, I J; Jang, W S; Jo, H G; Lee, K W; Song, H S; Han, J S; Kim, S D

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to determine whether homocyst(e)ine is elevated in nulliparous pregnant women with preeclampsia, and to evaluate a clinical usefulness of elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine with preeclampsia as a risk factor.
METHODS
Of 40 nulliparous pregnant women studied from October, 1997 to March, 1998, 20 had preeclampsia (severe: 9, mild: 11; 13 early onset preeclampsia of 20) and 20 were normal pregnant controls. We measured plasma homocyst(e)ine levels by high performance liquid chromatography, and folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations by radioimmunoassay at the time of their delivery.
RESULTS
Mean (standard deviation) plasma homocyst(e)ine levels in the two groups, 20 nulliparous women with preeclampsia and 13 nulliparous women with early onset preeclampsia, were significantly higher than in the 20 nulliparous women without preeclampsia, respectively (12.61+/-3.06 versus 6.63+/-1.72 micromol/L, P<0.05; 12.71+/-3.41 versus 6.63+/-1.72 micromol/L, P<0.05). Folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations were not significantly different between two groups, respectively (folic acid, 6.86+/-2.96 versus 8.17+/-3.26 nmol/L; vitamin B12, 237.8+/-73.1 versus 277.4+/-68.9 pmol/L). Mean (standard deviation) plasma homocyst(e)ine levels were not significantly different between severe and mild preeclampsia(13.79+/-3.23 versus 11.65+/-2.68 micromol/L).
CONCLUSION
Homocyst(e)ine levels are elevated in nulliparous pregnant women with preeclamsia at the time of their delivery and might be useful to predict the preeclampsia as a risk factor. Further studies are required to determine what role homocyst(e)ine may play in the etiology of preeclampsia, and to investigate how to prevent preeclampsia.