Elevation of both maternal and fetal extracellular circulating deoxyribonucleic acid concentrations in the plasma of pregnant women with preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: Elevated amounts of circulating fetal deoxyribonucleic acid in m aternal plasma have recently been detected in pregnancies complicated by pr eeclampsia. We attempted to confirm this finding and simultaneously examine d the quantity of maternal circulating deoxyribonucleic acid. STUDY DESIGN: Circulating deoxyribonucleic acid was measured by real-time q uantitative polymerase chain reaction in plasma samples obtained from 44 wo men with preeclampsia and a matched cohort of 53 normotensive pregnant wome n. RESULTS: We confirmed that circulating fetal deoxyribonucleic acid levels w ere significantly elevated in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (3194 .6 vs 332.8 copies/mL; P < .001). We also showed for the first time that ci rculating maternal deoxyribonucleic acid levels are also elevated (219,023. 9 vs 20,235.8 copies/mL; P < .001). The increases in these deoxyribonucleic acid levels corresponded to the severity of the disorder, and values were correlated with each other in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (r = 0.556; P < .001) but not normotensive pregnancies (r = 0.046; P = .747). CONCLUSION: The releases of both free fetal and maternal deoxyribonucleic a cid were found to be affected in preeclampsia.