title: Is the serum l-arginine level during early pregnancy a predictor of pregnancy-induced hypertension?
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of serum l-arginine in healthy pregnant women and infant cord blood and to compare them with those in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). The serum concentration of l-arginine in normal pregnant women at early gestation (n = 186) was determined and analyzed based on maternal factors such as the age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol habits before pregnancy. Similarly, the concentration of cord blood of the newborns (n = 142) was also analyzed. These values were compared with those in the PIH group (n = 21). The potential risk factors for PIH were also estimated. The serum concentration of l-arginine at early gestation in normal pregnant women (88.65 ± 19.96 µM) was not affected by the maternal age and BMI before pregnancy. A lower l-arginine concentration at early gestation (<70 µM) significantly elevated PIH risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 4.26, 95% CI 1.29-14.50]. In addition, either women with large body mass before pregnancy (BMI>25 kg/m(2)) or primipara women also showed a significant association with PIH risk [adjusted OR = 10.55 (2.95-40.68); 5.25 (1.72-19.15), respectively]. In conclusion, a lower l-arginine concentration at early gestation, overweight before pregnancy (BMI>25 kg/m(2)) and primipara could predict to the development of PIH.
authors.affiliation: Bio-database Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kotani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumigama
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Bio-database Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.affiliation: Bio-database Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Ei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maruta
authors.affiliation: Royal Bell Clinic, 1-1715 Mizuhiro, Midori-ku, Nagoya 458-0848, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.affiliation: Bio-database Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.affiliation: Bio-database Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Bio-database Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-20 Daiko-Minami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamakoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
keywords: cord blood; l-arginine; parity; pregnancy-induced hypertension