Strontium and its role in preeclampsia

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Preeclampsia (PE) is a vascular disorder potentially involving endothelial dysfunction.
• Strontium (Sr) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of PE.
• Previous studies established serum Sr levels in healthy pregnancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate strontium concentrations in preeclamptic women.
• To assess the oxidative status in preeclamptic women.
• To investigate the relationship between Sr, oxidative stress, and PE markers.

Main Methods:

• Included women with early-onset PE (E-PE), late-onset PE (L-PE), gestational hypertension (GH), and healthy controls.
• Measured serum levels of strontium (Sr), calcium (Ca), uric acid (UA), PlGF, sFlt-1, NT-proBNP, lipid peroxidation, and total antioxidant activity (TAA).
• Analyzed serial samples from a subset of preeclamptic women.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher mean Sr levels were observed in PE compared to control groups.
• Lower calcium levels in E-PE and higher NT-proBNP and UA levels in PE were noted.
• Elevated sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in E-PE and increased lipid peroxidation with lower TAA in PE were found.
• A strong positive correlation between UA and Sr was identified in E-PE.

Conclusions:

• Elevated Sr levels and altered redox status in preeclamptic women suggest Sr's involvement in PE pathogenesis.
• The correlation between UA and Sr further supports a potential role for strontium in PE.
• These findings highlight potential biomarkers and pathways in preeclampsia.