title: Lipoprotein(a) levels in women with pre-eclampsia and in normotensive pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if plasma lipoprotein(a) levels are elevated in pre-eclampsia and if so, their association with the severity of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-one pre-eclamptic (48 mild, 43 severe) and 40 healthy normotensive pregnant women at more than 32 gestational weeks were recruited into study. Plasma levels of lipoprotein(a), lipids, total protein, albumin and fibrinogen were measured in all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All groups were comparable with respect to maternal age, maternal weight, gravidity and parity. Platelet count, total serum protein and albumin levels were significantly decreased, whereas fibrinogen levels significantly increased in the pre-eclamptic group. There was no difference between the groups with respect to total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels. In the pre-eclampsic group, triglyceride and very-low-density lipoprotein concentrations were significantly higher, whereas high-density lipoprotein levels were significantly lower. No difference in serum lipoprotein(a) levels was found between the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No statistically significant difference existed between normotensive pregnant, and pre-eclamptic women, with regard to plasma lipoprotein(a) levels. It is improbable that high serum lipoprotein(a) levels are risk factors for the development of pre-eclampsia; however, elevated triglyceride-rich lipoproteins might cause endothelial damage leading to pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital 2, Istanbul, Turkey. basakbaksu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Basak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baksu
authors.forename: Alparslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baksu
authors.forename: Inci
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davas
authors.forename: Atif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akyol
authors.forename: Günay
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gülbaba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol