Abstract

Background: Numerous studies have shown that high maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index is a strong, modifiable risk factor for preeclampsia. Overweight is associated with alterations in lipid concentrations and an activation of inflammatory markers and both of these metabolic abnormalities are characteristic of preeclamptic pregnancies before the onset of clinically evident disease. We investigated the relationship between early pregnancy and midpregnancy plasma lipid concentration and risk of mild and severe preeclampsia.

Methods:The study included 400 participants, divided in three groups: control group (n=300 normotensive pregnancies); group with mild preeclampsia (n=67) and group with severe preeclampsia (n=33). Maternal serum collected at: 8-12; 20-24; and 28-32 weeks, was used to measure lipid profile.

Results:The groups were similar with respect to age and parity. Women with mild preeclamsia had higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL than control subjects from the first trimester (4.28±0.53 vs. 4.74±0.74mmol/l; 1.37±0.3 vs.1.98±0.45mmol/l; p<0.05). HDL values were lower in preeclamptic group (1.38±0.21 vs. 1.16±0.24mmol/l; p<0.05). The values of cholesterol and LDL were most increased in the group with severe preeclampsia (5.48±0.91 and 2.36±0.6mmol/l), but HDL values were most increased (0.96±0.15mmol/l). This is in correlation with increased BMI, and this difference is maintained until the end of the pregnancy.

Conclusion:Plasma lipid profile assay in first and second trimester of pregnancy is noticeable to predict probability and severity of preeclampsia, especially in combination with blood pressure values in the same periods.

Keywords

Dyslipidemia, Preeclampsia, Risk, Etiology, Women, Coagulation system, Prenatal death, Premature delivery, Placental insufficiency, HELLP syndrome, Eclampsia, Inflammatory markers, Pre-pregnancy, Manifestation, Multiple fetuses