Maternal serum iron-related parameters in severe preeclampsia

Kwon, In; Kwon, Ji Young; Lee, Jong Kun

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Based on the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and the hypothesis that the iron was a catalyzer of the oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation and that the ferritin and soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR) were the good iron status parameters, this study was performed to investigate the alteration of these parameters in preeclampsia.
METHODS
Predelivery and 72 hour postpartum venous blood were collected from 12 healthy pregnant women and 20 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia at 34 week to 40 weeks of gestation. Serum ferritin, and sTfR were measured using the commercial kits, respectively.
RESULTS
Predelivery serum ferritin concentration was significantly higher in patients with preeclampsia than in healthy pregnant women (p=0.01). Predelivery serum sTfR concentration in patients with preeclmapsia was not significantly different from that in healthy pregnant women (p=0.22). Postdelivery serum ferritin concentration was significantly higher in preeclamptic patients than in healthy pregnant women (p=0.04). Postdelivery serum sTfR concentration was significantly lower in preeclamptic patients than in healthy pregnant women (p=0.02). There was a significant negative correlation between postdelivery serum ferritin concentration and sTfR concentration in all subjects including healthy and preeclamptic patients (r=-0.37, p=0.04).
CONCLUSION
The serum ferritin was the best sensitive marker of the iron status parameters reflecting the preeclampsia. And the result may support the role of iron as a catalyzer of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in preeclampsia pathophysiology.