The Correlation of the Lipid Profile and Endothelin-1 with Severe Preeclampsia

Aims: To determine the relationship of lipid profile and Endothelin-1 (ET-1) in a severe preeclamptic pregnancy.

Study Design: An observational analytic study using cross-sectional was conducted in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sam Ratulangi University, in conjunction with the teaching hospital, Prof. Dr. R. D. Kandou General Hospital and the sister hospitals in Manado Hospital. Sixteen woman with normal pregnancy and sixteen others with severe preeclampsia who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were tested for lipid profile and ET-1. The serum was analyzed at Prodia Laboratory, Manado. The ET-1 level was examined using ELISA (R&D Systems, Inc., Minneapolis, MN 55413, USA). The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0.

Main Outcome Measures: The comparison and correlation of lipid profile and endothelin-1 (ET-1) plasma level in normal and severe preeclamptic pregnancy.

Results: Higher cholesterol total, triglyceride, VLDL, ET-1 level were found in severe preeclampsia group. Also, there was a significant correlation between the ET-1 and the triglyceride (r=0589, p=0.016) and VLDL (r=0590, p=0.016) in the normal pregnancy group. In the severe preeclampsia group, there was no significant correlation between the two variables (p>0.05).

Conclusion: There are elevated levels of triglycerides, VLDL and endothelin-1 in the incidence of severe preeclampsia compared with normotensive. This is a small and preliminary observational study, which shows that the older the age and parity the probability of preeclampsia increases and the more ET-1 is produced. But an elevation of the lipid profile is also observed without a proportional relationship with endothelin. This study suggests that lipids are involved in endothelial damage in pre-eclampsia without any relationship between them.