RESUMO
This study was done on 197 pregnant women. Fasting plasma total homocysteine [tHcys] was measured in each woman at 16[th] week of pregnancy. They were divided into 2 groups according to development of preeclampsia. Women who did not develop preeclampsia [n= 179] comprised control group. Women who developed preeclampsia [n=18] comprised the study group. Fasting plasma tHcys at 16[th] week gestation was significantly higher in preeclampsia group compared to control group [P<0.05]. Also the number of cases with tHcys >/= 90[th] percentile of controls [>/= 5.37 ng/dl] was significantly higher in preeclampsia group compared to control group. It could be concluded that hyperhomocysteinemia at 16[th] week gestation may be an indirect risk factor for placental vasculopathy predating preeclampsia