title: Plasma homocysteine in early and late pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia and isolated intrauterine growth restriction.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Messina, Italy. rosariodanna@tin.it
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Anna
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baviera
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corrado
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ientile
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Granese
authors.forename: Narciso Carlo
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Stella
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine