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Early-pregnancy asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels in women prone to develop recurrent hypertension
C A H Rijvers1, S Marzano2, B Winkens3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To evaluate early-pregnancy levels of ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine) in recurrent hypertensive pregnancy.
Study Design:
In this retrospective observational study, blood samples from 35 normotensive women with a previous hypertensive pregnancy were obtained preconceptionally and at 12, 16 and 20weeks in their next pregnancy. We assessed ADMA, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), l-arginine and l-citrulline. We analyzed differences in longitudinal patterns between normotensive (NT, n=18) and recurrent hypertensive (HT, n=17) pregnancies by linear mixed models, with a sub-analysis for preeclampsia (PE, n=6).
Main Outcome Measures:
ADMA, SDMA, l-arginine and l-citrulline.
Results:
Pre-pregnant SDMA and l-citrulline were lower in HT. At 12weeks, ADMA and ADMA/SDMA ratio correlated inversely with PAPP-A and β-hCG, respectively. In both groups, ADMA-related compounds changed inconsistently with advancing (mid-trimester) pregnancy, although in HT, l-arginine tended to decrease between 16 and 20weeks, a decline consistent in PE.
Conclusion:
These data support a modest role for ADMA and related metabolites in the pathogenesis of hypertensive pregnancy.
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