Measurement of Homocysteine Levels in Pregnant Women with and Without Preeclampsia

Abstract

Introduction: Homocysteine is associated with endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease, and elevated concentrations of homocysteine have been found in preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to determine homocysteine levels in pregnant women with and without preeclampsia. Methods: This descriptive study conducted on pregnant women with preeclampsia (n = 39) and controls (n = 43) was evaluated by the convenience sampling and data were collected through a questionnaire and paraclinical findings. In the present study, 5cc blood samples were taken from the patients after 8 hours of fasting and sent to the laboratory to determine homocysteine and related metabolites levels. Statistical analyses were done using IBM-SPSS 25.0 and Chi-square test was used for data analysis. Results: The moderate concentrations of homocysteine and uric acid were significantly higher than the control group in maternal plasma with preeclampsia (0.0001). Conclusion: We found that the blood homocysteine levels were significantly higher in the preeclampsia group compared with the Controls group. Measuring uric acid and blood homocysteine levels in pregnancy may be helpful as diagnostic tests in the early detection of high risk individuals.