ABSTRACT
Background: Pre-eclampsia is associated with significant maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. Increased oxidative stress due to endothelial dysfunction in pre-eclampsia has been linked with lipid abnormality. This study compared the fasting serum lipid levels in pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. Methodology: A case-control study in which venous blood samples (5mls) were collected from 50 consenting pregnant healthy normotensive women and 50 women with pre-eclampsia accessing care at the hospital. Study participants were matched for maternal age, parity, and gestational age after 8-12 hours of fasting. The fasting serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TGs) of the participants were evaluated using standard enzymatic methods. Result: Of the 50 pre-eclamptic and 50 pregnant normotensive women who participated in the study, the mean maternal age was 24.92±4.38 and 24.90±4.27 years respectively (p=0.98).There were statistically significant higher mean levels of TC, triglycerides, and VLDL-C among women with pre-eclampsia compared to normotensive pregnant women (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.007 respectively). The mean HDL-C level was significantly reduced among women with pre-eclampsia compared to controls (p<0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean serum level of LDL-C in both groups (p=0.068). The serum lipid profile did not significantly change with the severity of pre-eclampsia. Conclusion: Women with pre-eclampsia have increased serum levels of TC, triglycerides, and VLDL-C and decreased levels of HDL-C compared to normotensive pregnant women. However, the lipid profile of women with severe pre-eclampsia did not differ significantly from those with mild pre-eclampsia.
