Pregnancy levels of human placental lactogen and other steroidal hormones in cases of pregnancy induced hypertension

ABSTRACT

Serial plasma human placental lactogen HPL, estradiol E2, estriol E3 and progesterone P determination were conducted in the third trimester of human pregnancy on 20 normal, 20 mild hypertensive and 20 severe hypertensive patients. In mild hypertensive cases, plasma levels of HPL and E3 were significantly decreased compared to healthy group while E2 and P levels were not. Patients with severe pregnancy induced hypertension showed also significantly reduced levels of HPL, E2, E3, and P. estriol values for two patients with dead fetuses were extremely low. Both mild and severe pregnancy induced hypertension patients gave birth to reduced weight fetuses with low Apgar score values. The results indicated that HPL, E2, E3 and P are useful monitors with other obstetric parameters, in assessing the outcome of pregnancy in Egyptian females with pregnancy induced hypertension [PIH]