Correlation between serum nesfatin-1 level and severity of preeclampsia - A case control study

To investigate if serum levels of nesfatin-1 are correlated with the severity and presence of preeclampsia.

The case-control study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics, Al-Yarmouk Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, from February to December 2018, and comprised pregnant women recently diagnosed with preeclampsia at 37-40 weeks of gestation. They were divided into equal groups of non-severe preeclampsia group A and severe preeclampsia group B, and normotensive pregnant women of comparable gestational age control group C. Serum nesfatin-1 level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and its relation to preeclampsia and its severity was analysed. Data was analysed using SPSS 25.

Of the 150 pregnant women, 50(33%) with mean age 27.8±6.4 years and gestational age 38.3±0.9 weeks were in group A, 50(33%) with mean age 28.5±6.5 years and gestational age 38.4±1.0 weeks were in group B, and 50(33%) with mean age 29.2±7.2 years and gestational age 38.4±1.0 weeks were in group C (p>0.05) Mean nesfatin-1 concentration was lower in group A and B compared to group C (p<0.001), and it was significantly lower in group B than in group A (p<0.001).

Decrease in serum nesfatin-1 level was found to be correlated with the development of preeclampsia and its severity.