Neutrophil oxygen radical production in pre-eclampsia with HELLP syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether severe pre-eclampsia complicated by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets (HELLP) syndrome alters neutrophil oxygen radical production.


METHODS
Neutrophils were obtained from 10 healthy non-pregnant, 9 normal pregnant and 9 women with severe pre-eclampsia with concurrently HELLP syndrome. Oxygen radical production was evaluated using luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence and measured by cytochrome C reduction. Furthermore we incubated sera from cases and controls with isolated healthy neutrophils and measured their capacity to generate oxygen radicals.


RESULTS
Unstimulated neutrophil oxygen radical production was significantly lower in severe pre-eclamptics compared with healthy non-pregnant and pregnant subjects, whereas phorbol ester-induced oxygen radical production did not differ among categories. Cytochrome C reduction of unstimulated neutrophils showed similar results. Healthy neutrophils incubated with sera from pre-eclamptics enhanced the oxygen radical production significantly more than neutrophils incubated with sera from the healthy subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe pre-eclampsia is characterised by decreased unstimulated neutrophil oxygen radical production. This may be the result of an exhausted cellular response due to stimulation by a factor present in the serum of these patients.
Zusterzeel
P L
PL
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Wanten
G J
GJ
Peters
W H
WH
Merkus
H M
HM
Steegers
E A
EA
D000328:Adult; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D005865:Gestational Age; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010298:Parity; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D005609:Free Radicals; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate