SERUM-LIPIDS, LIPOPROTEINS AND APOLIPOPROTEINS IN PREGNANT NONDIABETIC PATIENTS

Aims-To investigate the effect of pregnancy on serum concentrations of lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins. Methods-Fasting serum conc entrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), apolip oproteins AI, AII, and lipoprotein (a) were 178 women with normal gluc ose tolerance in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and in a control group of 58 nonpregnant women of similar age. Data were analy sed using the unpaired t test and by one-way analysis of variance. Res ults-The pregnant women had significantly higher concentrations of tot al cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and ap olipoproteins AI and B (p < 0.001) and apolipoprotein AII (p = 0.003) than the control women. The ratio of apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A I was significantly higher in the pregnant women than in the controls (p < 0.001), but the total cholesterol:HDL cholesterol ratio was not s ignificantly different. No significant difference was found in the con centration of lipoprotein (a). Conclusions-Hyperlipidaemia is common i n the second half of pregnancy, This may be a purely physiological res ponse to pregnancy or it may be indicative of pathology in some women. These results warrant a follow up study to investigate whether the hy perlipidaemic response to pregnancy is variable and if so, whether it can predict future hyperlipidaemia in a manner analogous to that of im paired glucose tolerance during pregnancy, predicting non-insulin depe ndent diabetes in later life.