BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF LEPTIN CONCENTRATION IN CASES OF PREECLAMPSIA AND PRETERM INFANTS

Abstract

ABSTRACT This work has been carried out to investigate the serum leptin levels in term & preterm cord infants of term & preterm preeclamptic mothers respectively comparable with serum leptin levels in term & preterm cord infants of term & preterm healthy normotensive pregnant women (as control) respectively. In addition to investigate the serum leptin levels in term & preterm preeclamptic mothers comparable with serum leptin levels in term & preterm healthy normotensive pregnant women (as control) respectively. Results: the mean leptin concentration of term preeclamptic mothers was significantly increased (P<0.05) as compared to mean ]eptin concentration of term healthy normotensive mothers group. Also statistical analysis revealed the mean leptin concentration of preterm preeclamptic mothers was significantly increased (P<0.05) as compared to mean leptin concentration of preterm healthy normotensive mothers group. There was no significant difference in term cord leptin concentration between infants in term groups either in term healthy normotensive group or term preeclampsia group, however there was a very highly significant increase P<0.0001 in preterm fetal cord leptin concentration of preeclamptic mothers as compared to preterm fetal cord leptin concentration of nonnotensive pregnant women. Conclusion: maternal serum leptin concentration is significantly elevated in preeclampsia patients as compared to normal pregnant women, and this can have a role in understanding preeclampsia pathogenesis, predication of preeclampsia and placental ischemia. Increased cord leptin concentration in preterm infants of preeclamptic mothers may reflect a physiological adaptation to fetal stress such as hypoxia.

Key words: Leptin, Term preeclampsia, Preterm preeclampsia, Pretenn Infants, Preterm birth, Neonate, Cord leptin, Placenta, Pregnancy, Hypoxia.