Changes of plasma lipoprotein(a) during and after normal pregnancy in Caucasians

Elevated plasma concentrations of lipoprotein(a) are associated with an increased risk for development of atherosclerosis. High lipoprotein(a) concentrations may also be associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia, but reference data on the course of lipoprotein(a) during uneventful pregnancies are limited and questionable.

We studied plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations in 19 healthy nulliparous Caucasian women during and after uncomplicated pregnancy. Blood was sampled every 4 weeks during pregnancy from 9 weeks onwards, during labor and at 2-4 weeks and 3-5 months after delivery. An apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)) isoform-independent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure lipoprotein(a). Multilevel analysis was used to describe the data.

Lipoprotein(a) increased until 35 weeks, subsequently decreased slightly until delivery, and fell to values below early pregnancy concentrations thereafter. The curve is defined by the formula lipoprotein(a) (mg/l) = exp [4.789 + (0.05215 x GA) + (-0.0007371 x GA2)] where GA = gestational age in weeks.

We constructed a curve for plasma lipoprotein(a) which may serve as the standard reference for changes in pregnancy. Its formula is helpful in predicting changes of gestational age-dependent changes of lipoprotein(a) in normal pregnancy.