title: Essential fatty acids profile and lipid peroxides in severe pre-eclampsia.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that an imbalance between products of arachidonic acid metabolism (such as prostaglandins, prostacyclin and thromboxane A2) and lipid peroxidation products might have a role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. In order to study some of the changes taking place in pre-eclampsia, the plasma concentrations of essential fatty acids and lipid peroxidation products [measured as thiobarbituric-acid (TBA)-reactive substance] were evaluated in 25 patients with severe pre-eclampsia and 20 normal pregnant control subjects. Arachidonic acid concentration (median and range) was significantly higher in the pre-eclamptic group (14.1; 11.0-19.8 micrograms/L) compared with the normal pregnant subjects (2.5; 2.0-4.4 micrograms/L). Plasma concentration of TBA-reactive substance was also significantly higher in the pre-eclamptic cases (14.8; 13.4-16.8 vs 11.4; 9.0-12.8). These results suggest that arachidonic acid and lipid peroxidation products may play a role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Shouk
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Fayed
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D016718:Arachidonic Acid