LIPID PEROXIDE AND VITAMIN-E PATTERNS IN PREGNANT-WOMEN WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF HYPERTENSION IN PREGNANCY

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the circulating levels of lipid pero xides and vitamin E and the placental levels of lipid peroxides in pre gnant women with different types of hypertension. STUDY DESIGN: Lipid peroxides were measured in serum and placental tissue by the thiobarbi turic acid method and high-pressure liquid chromatography, and vitamin E was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The patients s tudied were 36 healthy pregnant women and 92 women with hypertension c lassified as having mild gestational hypertension (n=28), severe gesta tional hypertension (n=10), preeclampsia (n=34), and chronic hypertens ion (n=20). RESULTS: Lipid peroxides in serum and placental tissue wer e significantly increased, and vitamin E levels in serum were signific antly decreased in women with severe gestational hypertension and pree clampsia compared with controls. The groups of mild gestational hypert ension or chronic hypertension had similar values of lipid peroxides o r vitamin E as controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the cat egory of gestational hypertension may be composed of at least two enti ties with different pathophysiology and support the concept of nonprot einuric preeclampsia.