Butyrylcholinesterase activity and pregnancy-associated differences in immunologically relevant peripheral blood leukocyte populations.
OBJECTIVE
Toxic anticholinesterases (AC) are known contributors to negative pregnancy outcome. Impairment of detoxification mechanisms may correlate with occurrence of pregnancy disorders in Kuwait.


METHODS
Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), an enzyme which detoxifies AC was evaluated in 18 Kuwaiti women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), compared with 15 healthy pregnant and eight healthy non-pregnant women. T-lymphocyte subpopulations were measured by flow cytometry, and BuChE activity was measured by spectrophotometry.


RESULTS
Unlike the PIH group, the normal pregnancy group exhibited a significant increase in BuChE activity compared with non-pregnant control subjects (P = 0.04). Within the PIH cohort, inverse correlations were observed between BuChE activity and percentage of CD4+ CD25+ cells (P = 0.001), and CD8+ CD25+ cells (P = 0.007).


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated BuChE activity in normal pregnancy may correlate with better ability to clear pregnancy-threatening toxins, while lesser ability to do this in PIH women may be a contributor to disease. The fact that PIH subjects with large subpopulations of activated T cells also exhibited low BuChE activity further suggests a correlation between susceptibility to pregnancy loss and decreased activity of the enzyme.
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007730:Kuwait; D008875:Middle Aged; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase