Atherogenic profile of mild pre-eclampsia

Objective We examined the hypothesis that total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein, and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels are elevated in pre-eclampsia and are associated with severity of the disease. Participants and methods Plasma lipid levels were measured in 50 mild pre-eclamptic women at the 30th week of gestation. These measures were repeated 4 weeks later after assessment of progress of the condition. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann–Whitney U-test were used to compare the measures taken at the two dates. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted at different cut-off levels to predict the severity of pre-eclampsia. Results Eight women (16%) developed severe pre-eclampsia. Lp(a) of the second sample in mild pre-eclamptic group was significantly higher than the first sample (P=0.01). The severe pre-eclamptic group showed highly significant differences in serum cholesterol, LDL, and Lp(a) levels than the mild pre-eclamptic group at 34 weeks (P<0.001). Severe pre-eclamptic patients showed statistically significant higher basal levels (30th-week level) in serum cholesterol, LDL, and Lp(a) when compared with those who did not develop severe pre-eclampsia. The best cut-off point of Lp(a) reading at 30 weeks that could detect the development of severe pre-eclampsia was shown at 39 mg/dl. Conclusion Total cholesterol, LDL, and Lp(a) levels are elevated in pre-eclampsia and are associated with severity of the disease. Lp(a) may serve as a predictor of the pathogenic process.