Increased arterial adrenaline is highly correlated to blood pressure and in vivo platelet function in pre-eclampsia.
Compared with normotensive pregnant women (n = 13), patients with severe pre-eclampsia (n = 13) had increased arterial plasma adrenaline (P < 0.001), peripheral venous adrenaline (P < 0.01), arterio-venous differences of adrenaline (P < 0.001) and venous concentration of the platelet release product beta-thromboglobulin (P < 0.001). In the pre-eclamptic group, arterial adrenaline correlated with mean blood pressure (r = 0.90, P < 0.001), heart rate (r = 0.78, P < 0.01) and beta-thromboglobulin (r = 0.82, P < 0.001), while in the normotensives adrenaline correlated only with beta-thromboglobulin (r = 0.76, P < 0.01). According to these results, sympathetic adrenal tone is increased in pre-eclampsia and may play a role in the pathogenesis of high blood pressure and platelet activation in this disease.
Kjeldsen
S E
SE
Department of Medicine, Ullevål Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway.
Eide
I
I
Aakesson
I
I
Oian
P
P
Maltau
J M
JM
Lande
K
K
Gjesdal
K
K
D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000378:metabolism
D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D004837:Epinephrine