ABSTRACT
Preeclampsia is a
pregnancy complication; early identification with increased risk is one of the
key goals in obstetrics. In a nested case control study, serum uric acid and
calcium measured in first and second trimesters of pregnancy were correlated
with Xanthine oxidase (XO) activity, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and fetal
birth weight. The mean ± SD of uric acid (2.01 ± 0.85,
4.8 ± 1.93), calcium (10.88 ± 1.97, 9.72 ± 2.04), MAP (84.32 ± 6.71, 78.40 ± 8.53) and XO activity (11.96 ± 1.91,
14.05 ± 3.09) of the study group
(n=86) were observed in the first and second trimesters respectively. First
trimester normotensive group (n=79) and preeclampsia cases (n = 7), showed a mean ± SD of uric acid (1.93 ± 0.80, 2.9 ± 0.88), Calcium (10.92 ± 1.9, 10.6 ± 1.72),
MAP (84.19 ± 6.75, 85.71 ± 6.58) XO activity (11.82 ± 1.83,
13.57 ± 2.21). In the second
trimester, normotensive group and preeclampsia cases showed a mean ± SD uric acid (4.6 ± 1.75, 7.3 ± 2.19), Calcium (9.4 ± 1.85, 12.9 ± 1.04),
MAP (76.41 ± 5.41, 100.95 ± 2.52) and XO activity (13.37 ± 1.93,
21.70 ± 3.50). Statistical
analysis revealed a non-significant positive correlation in first trimester
between uric acid and MAP (r = +0.116, p = 0.288), negative correlations
between uric acid and fetal birth weight (r = -0.118, 0.279) and between calcium and MAP (r = -0.288,
p = 0.007). In the second trimester, significant positive correlations were
observed between uric acid (r = +0.246, p =
0.022), calcium (r = +0.326, p = 0.007) with MAP along with a significant negative
correlation between uric acid (r = -0.641, p = 0.000), calcium (r = -0.316, p = 0.003), Proteinuria
(r = -0.514, p = 0.000) with
fetal birth weight. The screening of first and second trimesters XO activity,
uric acid, calcium and MAP during pregnancy is beneficial in identifying women
likely to develop preeclampsia with poor fetal outcome.