Plasma homocysteine in early and late pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia and isolated intrauterine growth restriction.
BACKGROUND
Elevated circulating homocysteine is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Increased homocysteine plasma levels have been reported to occur in approximately 20-30% of women with preeclampsia and it has been suggested that they may predict the subsequent development of preeclampsia.


METHODS
In a cohort of 1874 pregnant women followed longitudinally, who participated in the Down screening program, 27 developed preeclampsia and 36 intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). A control group of 63 uneventful pregnancies was selected. Plasma homocysteine was assayed in the early second trimester and at delivery in all groups. Data were compared with Wilcoxon's matched-pair test.


RESULTS
No statistically significant difference of plasma homocysteine between controls and preeclamptic or IUGR pregnancies in the early second trimester were found. There was a significant difference, only at delivery, between the preeclamptic subjects and the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
We failed to demonstrate a plasma homocysteine predictive value in pregnancies subsequently complicated by preeclampsia and IUGR. As previously stated, we found that an elevated homocysteine plasma level is associated with overt preeclampsia.
D'Anna
Rosario
R
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Messina, Italy. rosariodanna@tin.it
Baviera
Giovanni
G
Corrado
Francesco
F
Ientile
Riccardo
R
Granese
Domenico
D
Stella
Narciso Carlo
NC
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008403:Mass Screening; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012307:Risk Factors
D006710:Homocysteine