MATERNAL PLASMA PROSTACYCLIN CONCENTRATION IN PRE-ECLAMPSIA AND OTHER PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS

Summary

To study the involvement of antiaggregatory and vasodilatory prostacyclin (PGI₂) in various pregnancy complications, we measured the concentrations of 6-keto-prostaglandin F_1α, a stable hydration product of PGI₂, using a specific radio-immunoassay, in plasma samples from 123 women between 22 and 41 weeks of complicated or normal pregnancy. The levels of 6-keto-PGF_1α (mean±SE) in pre-eclampsia (267.0 ± 26.6 pg/ml, n = 22), diabetic pregnancy (266.6 ± 19.2 pg/ml, n = 21), twin pregnancy (310.7 ± 28.2 pg/ml, n = 10), threatened premature labour (285.9 ± 23.2 pg/ml, n = 26), placenta praevia or placental abruption (248.9 ± 24.5 pg/ml, n = 6), hepatosis gravidarum (249.3±15.0 pg/ml, n = 3) or in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine fetal growth retardation (296.9 ± 34.2 pg/ml, n = 14) or fetal death (267.5±20.9 pg/ml, n = 6) did not differ from each other or from the 6-keto-PGF_1α levels in normal pregnancy (266.4 ±15.0 pg/ml, n =22). Furthermore, the 6-keto-PGF_1α levels bore no relation to the gestational age, maternal drug use (insulin, glucocorticoids, antihypertensive drugs) or to the sex, birth weight or condition of the newborn infant, or to the placental weight.