Lead level in pregnant women suffering from pre-eclampsia in Dakahlia, Egypt

ABSTRACT

Lead toxicity is a prevalent health problem in both developed and developing countries. One of the proposed mechanisms for lead-induced organ damage is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is well-associated with the pregnancy disorder, pre-eclampsia. Exposure to lead may be one of the sources of the oxidative stress that leads to development of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. To test if blood lead level of pregnant women suffering from pre-eclampsia is higher than the normal limit. Using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, blood lead level was measured in 115 pregnant women suffering from pre-eclampsia and compared to its level in a comparison group of 25 healthy pregnant women in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt. The mean +/- SD blood lead level was 37.68 +/- 9.17 micro g/dL in women with pre-eclampsia; the value in the comparison group was 14.5 +/- 3.18 micro g/dL [p<0.001]. Pre-eclampsia is significantly associated with a high blood lead level