Increased thromboxane formation in diabetic pregnancy as a possible contributor to preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
Because pregnant women with diabetes have an increased risk of preeclampsia, we tested the hypothesis that urinary excretion of thromboxane metabolites is increased in diabetic pregnancies without evidence of preeclampsia at the time of testing.


METHODS
Urinary excretion of thromboxane A2 metabolites (either 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 or 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2) was measured in 24 type I pregnant diabetic individuals and in 20 women with normal pregnancies between 28 and 32 weeks' gestation.


RESULTS
The amount of 2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2 and 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 in the urine of pregnant women with diabetes (1727 +/- 415 and 827 +/- 276 pg/mg creatinine) was significantly higher than in women with normal pregnancies (638 +/- 218 and 178 +/- 145 pg/mg creatinine) (p < 0.002 and p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support a role for thromboxane in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Van Assche
F A
FA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium.
Spitz
B
B
Hanssens
M
M
Van Geet
C
C
Arnout
J
J
Vermylen
J
J
D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000652:urine; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000652:urine*; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine
D013929:Thromboxane B2; C028965:2,3-dinor-thromboxane B2; C049235:11-dehydro-thromboxane B2