Maternal serum dyslipidemia occurs early in pregnancy in women with mild but not severe preeclampsia

Abstract

Objective: We sought to determine whether serum lipids at midgestation differ between normotensive women and women developing mild and severe preeclampsia.

Study design: A case-control study of 50 women with preeclampsia (mild = 26; severe = 24) and 100 women with uncomplicated term deliveries was conducted. Maternal serum collected at 15-20 weeks was used to measure lipid profiles.

Results: The groups were similar with respect to demographic characteristics. Women with mild preeclampsia had higher triglyceride levels and a higher total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein ratio than control subjects (200 +/- 79.5 mg/dL vs 164 +/- 56.2 mg/dL; P = .02; and 3.31 +/- 1.06 mg/dL vs 2.91 +/- 0.59; P = .02). Women with severe preeclampsia had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein than control subjects (85.5 +/- 21.3 mg/dL vs 102 +/- 30.0 mg/dL; P = .04) and a less atherogenic lipid profile than control subjects.

Conclusion: Midgestation dyslipidemia is associated with mild but not severe preeclampsia. These findings may aid in elucidating the different pathologic processes between mild and severe preeclampsia.