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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Determining the Serum Stability of Human Adenosine Deaminase 1 Enzyme
Published on: September 27, 2024
Adenosine deaminase activity in subjects with normal pregnancy, pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia
O O Oladipo1, B B Afolabi, A O Okorodudu
1Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos.
Background:
Both pregnancy and adenosine deaminase (ADA) are associated with depressed cellular mediated immunity. There is little information on ADA activity in pregnant Africans.
Objective:
To determine the serum levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by hypertension in Nigerian women.
Methods:
One hundred and twenty-five pregnant women comprising 35 normal non-pregnant women, 35 normal pregnant women, 35 pregnant women with pregnancy induced hypertension and 20 patients with pre-eclampsia were recruited for the study. Serum adenosine deaminase enzyme (ADA) activity was measured by the Giusti and Galanti spectrophotometric method in all study subjects.
Results:
The mean serum ADA level in the non-pregnant women was higher than that in the normal pregnant women (23.21 +/- 6.3 v 14.69 +/- 3.2, p<0.001). Amongst the pregnant women, mean serum ADA in the hypertensive and pre-eclamptic women was significantly higher than that in the normal pregnant group (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
These findings indicate a probable decrease in cellular immunity in normal pregnancy and an enhanced cell mediated immunity in pre-eclampsia.
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