title: Tissue kallikrein activity in pregnancy.
abstract: To determine tissue kallikrein (TK) activity in black African women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; 140 women were recruited and divided into the following groups: group A--35 preeclamptic women, group B--35 mild to moderate hypertensive pregnant women and group C--35 normotensive pregnant women, and group D--35 normotensive non-pregnant healthy women. The activity of tissue kallikrein was determined from a random untimed urine sample using a selective, synthetic chromogenic tripeptide substrate having the sequence H-D-Val-Leu-Arg-pNA (S-2266). Urinary sodium and potassium levels was determined by flame photometry. Tissue kallikrein activity was decreased in women with preeclampsia (1.54 +/- 0.95 vs 3.05 +/- 0.83 ngTK/microg protein; p < 0.0001) and mild to moderate hypertensive group (2.03 +/- 0.76 vs 3.05 +/- 0.83 ngTK/microg protein; p < 0.0001) compared with normotensive pregnant women. There was also a significant difference in tissue kallikrein activity between the pregnancy groups (1.54 +/- 0.95 vs 2.03 +/- 0.76 ngTK/microg protein; p < 0.001). No difference in tissue kallikrein activity was observed between normotensive pregnant and normotensive non-pregnant healthy women (3.05 +/- 0.83 vs 3.14 +/- 0.88 ngTK/microg protein; p = 0.51). There was no difference in the excretion of urinary sodium and potassium in pregnancy groups compared to normotensive pregnant group. Tissue kallikrein activity is decreased in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Khedun
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naicker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moodley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044383:Black People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000652:urine*; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000652:urine*; D011188:Potassium / Q000652:urine; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000652:urine*; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000652:urine*; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D013019:South Africa; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid; D012964:Sodium; D003404:Creatinine; D007610:Kallikreins; D011188:Potassium