Hyperhomocysteinemia in preeclampsia is associated to higher risk pressure profiles

Homocysteine levels have been determined with Chromatography on HPLC column, between the 20th and the 24th week of pregnancy, in women with analogous characteristics (a) normotensive, (b) with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), low (LR), medium (MR), high risk (HR). The group they belonged to was confirmed after natural or caesarean delivery. All the patients were submitted to 24 hour blood pressure monitoring for the evaluation of further pressure risk parameters: mean arterial pressure (MAP), non dippers, percentages of pressure peaks. Homocysteine levels in normotensive pregnant women (5.8 +/- 1.7 microM) were low. Significant high levels of homocysteine were present proportionally to the risk degree of PIH. Higher levels of homocysteine statistically significant were present in non dippers of all groups (MR p < 0.05; HR p < 0.01). A direct correlation between plasmatic homocisteine levels and pressure profiles was found out in non dippers (r = 0.56, r = 0.55, r = 0.50 respectively) and in dippers (r = 0.7, r = 0.75, r = 0.60 respectively), and also between levels of homocysteine, MAP value, and pathological percentages of systolic and diastolic nocturnal peaks. In pregnant women presenting preeclampsia afterwards, high levels of homocysteine were not different from mean values present in high risk PIH pregnant women (13.3 +/- 1.9 vs. 16.4 +/- 1.7 microM). High levels of homocysteine early determined in the second trimester of PIH pregnancies seem to be associated to a pregnancy higher risk, coexisting with dangerous pressure profiles. High levels confirm a pregnant woman to belong to a higher or lower risk degree of vascular damage, but in the same group context high levels of homocisteine do not allow to identify those pregnant women who will develop eclampsia.