Ischemia modified albumin in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) has emerged as a new biomarker of myocardial ischemia. Currently, no information is available on maternal IMA levels during normal and complicated pregnancy. Preeclampsia is associated with ischemia and increased formation of free radicals in the placenta. We therefore hypothesized that production of IMA may occur in women with preeclampsia.


METHODS
Serum IMA and albumin concentrations were assessed in 12 patients with preeclampsia, 12 normal pregnant controls, and 12 nonpregnant controls. IMA levels were compared between groups and corrected for albumin by multivariate regression analysis.


RESULTS
Mean IMA levels were elevated in normal pregnant controls (107.3 U/mL; 95% CI, 102.5 to 112.01), compared with nonpregnant controls (94.5 U/mL; CI, 89.4 to 99.6; p = 0.015). In patients with preeclampsia, IMA levels were similar to those in normal pregnant controls (109.7 U/mL; CI, 102.2 to 117.2; p = 0.65). Also, no difference in IMA levels was observed between women with preeclampsia who delivered small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants (99.0 U/mL; CI, 87.9 to 110.1; p = 0.13) and women with preeclampsia but without SGA.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum IMA, which has been advocated as a clinical marker of cardiac ischemia, appears to be elevated during normal pregnancy. We found no significant relationship between IMA levels and preeclampsia, in women with or without SGA infants.
van Rijn
Bas B
BB
Division of Perinatology and Gynaecology, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. brijn2@umcutrecht.nl
Franx
Arie
A
Sikkema
J Marko
JM
van Rijn
Herman J M
HJ
Bruinse
Hein W
HW
Voorbij
Hieronymus A M
HA
D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood*; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology
D000418:Albumins; D015415:Biomarkers