Relation between sevum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in women withpreeclampsia

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between plasma adenos ine and serum uric acid levels in women with preeclampsia, Maternal arteria l blood sampling was performed to measure serum uric acid and plasma adenos ine levels in 20 pregnant women complicated by preeclampsia and 22 normal p regnant women at 33-38 weeks of gestation. The average plasma adenosine lev els were 0.31 +/- 0.12 mu mol/l in the normal pregnant group and 0.45 +/- 0 .11 mu mol/l in the preeclampsia group. The mean serum uric acid level in w omen with preeclampsia was 5.9 +/- 0.60 mg/dl, significantly higher than in the normal pregnant women (4.4 +/- 0.69 mg/dl). Positive correlations were found between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in both the grou p with (r(2) = 0.38, p < 0.05) and the group without (r(2) = 0.54, p < 0.05 ) preeclampsia, There was also a significant correlation between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels on the whole (r(2) = 0.59, p < 0.05), Our results suggest that increased adenosine is a contributing source of preec lamptic hyperuricemia. Copyright (C) 2001 S. KargerAG, Basel.