Fundamentals and objective:

Preeclampsia, or gestational hypertension, is the most common complication of pregnancy. The etiology is affected by genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors. It occurs globally in 3-10% of pregnancies, and in Colombia it is an important cause of maternal death, occurring in 5-7 % of all pregnancies. Oxidative stress generated by high levels of homocysteine is one of the causes that contribute to the development of this complication. The objective of the present study was to establish the relationship of homocysteine levels and other factors between pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and without pre-eclampsia.

Method:

In a population of 47 pregnant women without pre-eclampsia and 41 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia, a survey with informed consent and measurement of plasma homocysteine that was performed by polarized fluorescence immunoassay using an IMx-System analyzer. The gestational age was determined by obstetric ultrasound and the blood pressure and weight data of the clinical history. In the statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test, 2x2 contingency tables, Pearson's Chi square and multivariate analysis were performed, using the SPSS 17 statistical package.

Results:

Significant differences were found between homocysteine values between cases and controls. There was a correlation between homocysteine values, body mass index, and blood pressure. It was also found that hyper-homocysteinemia represents a significantly higher risk of preeclampsia in the group with a family history, compared to the group with no history.

Conclusions:

In our population, hyper-homocysteinemia, body mass index, and family history of preeclampsia represent risk factors for this pathology.

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