title: Lead level in pregnant women suffering from pre-eclampsia in Dakahlia, Egypt.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lead toxicity is a prevalent health problem in both developed and developing countries. One of the proposed mechanisms for lead-induced organ damage is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is well-associated with the pregnancy disorder, pre-eclampsia. Exposure to lead may be one of the sources of the oxidative stress that leads to development of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test if blood lead level of pregnant women suffering from pre-eclampsia is higher than the normal limit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, blood lead level was measured in 115 pregnant women suffering from pre-eclampsia and compared to its level in a comparison group of 25 healthy pregnant women in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean±SD blood lead level was 37.68±9.17 μg/dL in women with pre-eclampsia; the value in the comparison group was 14.5±3.18 μg/dL (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-eclampsia is significantly associated with a high blood lead level.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. sh-mm@mans.edu.eg
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Motawei
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Attalla
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gouda
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Harouny
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: El-Mansoury
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007854:Lead