Relationship between leptin and lipids during pre-eclampsia

To assess the relation between serum leptin levels and lipid profile in women with pre-eclampsia and to evaluate their atherogenic role in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia.

This was a comparative cross-sectional study, carried out in the Department of Physiology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), in collaboration with the department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, JPMC. For this purpose 45 primigravidas with normal pregnancy and 45 primigravidas with pre-eclamptic pregnancy were selected who were in their third trimester. All the subjects were of the same maternal age, gestational age, height and weight. Serum leptin levels were determined by immunoenzymometric assay and total lipid profile was determined by enzymatic colorimetric method.

The study included 90 patients, divided into two groups of whom 45 were diagnosed as pre-eclampsia and 45 were controls. All the variables of the lipid profile of pre-eclamptic patients, were found to be significantly elevated as compared to controls. The total lipid profile was also compared to the severity of pre-eclampsia and total cholestrol was found to be significantly raised (p < 0.01) in severe pre-eclampsia when compared to mild. On correlating serum leptin with lipid profile, again total cholestrol was found to be significantly high (p < 0.05) in pre-eclamptic group compared to controls.

This study concluded that serum leptin levels during pre-eclampsia are strongly associated with total cholesterol whereas association with other variables is insignificant. With severity of pre-eclampsia when leptin level rises, total cholesterol also rises. These changes may be the result of oxidative stress and may contribute to atherogenesis and pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.