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Association of homocysteine, asymmetric dimethylarginine, and nitric oxide with preeclampsia

  • Materno-fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Endothelial dysfunction underlies the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, but its mechanism has not yet been completely understood. In this study we have aimed to measure homocysteine (Hcy), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and nitric oxide (NO) levels as endothelial dysfunction markers in preeclamptic women.

Methods

Control–case study with 62 preeclamptic patients and 30 controls without pregnancy complications was conducted. Plasma total Hcy, determined by capillary column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), was correlated with serum ADMA (determined by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry using 13C6-l-arginine as the internal standard) and NO (analyzed by GC/MS).

Results

There was a highly significant increase in the plasma concentration of homocysteine (P < 0.001) and ADMA (P < 0.001) and a highly significant decrease in the plasma concentration of nitric oxide (P < 0.001) among the preeclamptic patients. The differences were more significant between mild and severe preeclampsia, with and without eclampsia, with and without HELLP (hemolysis, elevated serum level of liver enzymes, and low platelets). In the combined patients and control groups a highly significant positive correlation was found between the plasma concentrations of homocysteine and ADMA (r = 0.853, P < 0.001). In addition, significant negative correlations were detected between the plasma concentrations of nitric oxide and the plasma concentration of homocysteine (r = −0.870, P < 0.001) and ADMA (r = −0.895, P < 0.001). These significant correlations were found to persist, even when they were restricted to the preeclamptic patients.

Conclusions

The homocysteine–ADMA–NO may be at least partly responsible for etiology in preeclampsia and could be regarded as markers for the severity of the disease. Therefore, l-arginine may represent a novel therapy for the treatment of preeclampsia.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by funding from Heilongjiang Province Natural Science Foundation of China (D200532), Heilongjiang Science and Technology Agency, Harbin, China.

Conflict of interest statement

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Forth Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, 150037, Harbin, China

    Dongwei Mao, Shiyu Han, Qi Yue, Li Zhu, Wei Zhang & Lin Li

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, 150080, Harbin, China

    Jianhua Che

  3. Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, 150001, Harbin, China

    Keshen Li

Authors
  1. Dongwei Mao
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  2. Jianhua Che
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  3. Keshen Li
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  4. Shiyu Han
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  5. Qi Yue
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  6. Li Zhu
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  7. Wei Zhang
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  8. Lin Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dongwei Mao or Jianhua Che.

Additional information

Condensation: Hcy–ADMA–NO, a potential marker of severity for preeclampsia, may represent a novel therapy for the treatment of patients with preeclampsia.

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Mao, D., Che, J., Li, K. et al. Association of homocysteine, asymmetric dimethylarginine, and nitric oxide with preeclampsia. Arch Gynecol Obstet 282, 371–375 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1234-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1234-6

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