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Erythrocyte membrane composition in pregnancy-induced hypertension: evidence for an altered lipid profile
M M Anceschi1, G Coata, E V Cosmi
12nd Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Objective:
To investigate whether the increased membrane fluidity postulated as a possible contributing factor to the hypertensive states of pregnancy is related to the lipid composition of the erythrocyte membrane.
Design:
An observational case control study.
Subjects:
30 women with pregnancy induced hypertension, 26 normotensive pregnant women matched for gestational age, and 10 normotensive non pregnant nulliparous women.
Interventions:
Erythrocyte membranes were prepared from venous blood samples obtained from all the women.
Main Outcomes Measures:
Lipid analysis, including cholesterol to phospholipids ratio, distribution of phospholipid classes and fatty acid composition of total phospholipids in erythrocyte ghosts.
Results:
The cholesterol/phospholipid ratio was significantly higher in the women with pregnancy induced hypertension compared with the normotensive pregnant women (mean 1.24, SD 0.31, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.35 vs mean 0.90, SD 0.09, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.94; P less than 0.01). Normotensive non-pregnant erythrocyte membrane cholesterol/phospholipid ratio was 0.88 (SD 0.11, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.96). The percentage distribution of different phospholipid classes and fatty acid composition was similar in all the four groups.
Conclusions:
The increased cholesterol/phospholipid ratio of the erythrocyte membrane found in pregnancy-induced hypertension represents one factor involved in the pathophysiology of this condition and a possible biochemical marker of the disease.