Fluorescence polarization of serum lipids in pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorder

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are associated with an increase in serum lipid fractions. Fluorescence Polarization (FP) of lipids in the serum of 80 hypertensive pregnant patients at full term was compared to measurements in a control group of 71 healthy pregnant volunteers. In addition, the FP values were correlated with measurements of serum lipid fraction in 34 hypertensive and 17 control patients. Both chronic hypertension and pregnancy induced hypertensive (PIH) subjects had significantly reduced serum FP values compared to the control group. This difference was however present only in the severely hypertensive patients, independent of the etiology of this disorder. Highly significant correlations were present between the FP values and serum level of Triglycerides r = -0.85, Very Low Density Lipoprotein r = -0.76, and Low Density Lipoprotein r = 0.53. Serum FP values appear to reflect the change in the lipoprotein pattern present in pregnant patients with hypertensive disorders. This change appears to reflect the severity of the condition rather than the etiology of the hypertension.