PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION - MATERNAL AND NEONATAL PLASMA LIPID-SOLUBLE ANTIOXIDANT LEVELS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH FATTY-ACID UNSATURATION

Objective: Our purpose was to investigate whether plasma lipid-soluble antioxidant levels during the third trimester of pregnancy and immedi ately after birth are altered in women with pregnancy-induced hyperten sion. Design: Nested case-control study of women with pregnancy-induce d hypertension. Subjects: A group of 23 women with (mild) pregnancy-in duced hypertension and their neonates, were compared with 23 matched c ontrols with uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods: Concentrations of vit amin E isomers, several carotenoids, and retinol were determined by HP LC in venous plasma which had been stored for 2-5 y. Antioxidant level s were adjusted for the degree of fatty acid unsaturation in plasma ph ospholipids as analysed 2-5 y before. Results: In the third trimester of pregnancy, lipid-soluble antioxidant levels were similar in women w ith pregnancy-induced hypertension and controls. From the third trimes ter to postpartum, meant ( +/-s.e.m.) beta+gamma-tocopherol levels dec reased by 0.38 +/-0.17 mu mol/l or 5% (P = 0.038) in the control group . In the pregnancy-induced hypertension group, however, plasma levels of most antioxidants decreased from the third trimester to postpartum, but only the decreases in plasma levels of beta+gamma-tocopherol of 1 .08 +/-0.27 mu mol/l or 26% (P = 0.042), of alpha-tocopherol of 2.51 /-1.58 mu mol/l or 6% (P = 0.024), and of lutein of 0.13 +/-0.04 mu mo l/l or 15% (P = 0.013) reached statistical significance as compared wi th the changes in the control group. At the same time, the polyunsatur ated far, acid unsaturation index of plasma phospholipids (UI) decreas ed in the pregnancy-induced hypertension group as well. Consequently, antioxidant levels, adjusted for UT, changed similarly in both groups. Umbilical vein plasma antioxidant levels were also similar after comp licated and uncomplicated pregnancies. Conclusion: Plasma lipid-solubl e antioxidant levels in mother and child are affected by mild pregnanc y-induced hypertension, but this effect disappears after adjustment fo r fatty acid unsaturation.