Homocysteine in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia with and without IUGR: a comparison with normotensive pregnant women with isolated IUGR and healthy pregnant women

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze homocysteine levels in maternal serum in women with pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and/or IUGR. Patients and methods: The study was carried out on 49 pregnant patients with normotensive pregnancies complicated by intrauterine fetal growth restriction (group IUGR), 31 patients with preeclampsia complicated by IUGR (group PRE-IUGR), and 35 preeclamptic patients with appropriate-for-gestational-age weight fetuses (group PRE). The control group consisted of 47 healthy normotensive pregnant patients with singleton uncomplicated pregnancies and with proper intrauterine fetal growth. Results: We revealed higher levels of maternal serum homocysteine in the group of pregnant patients with isolated fetal intrauterine growth restriction in comparison with the control subjects. The concentrations of homocysteine were also higher in both groups of patients with pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia with and without IUGR. The highest levels of homocysteine were observed in preeclamptic women with appropriatefor-gestational-age fetal growth. The mean values were 9.004 +/– 2.820 mol/L in the IUGR group, 10.815 +/– 3.785 mol/ L in the group PRE, 9.808 +/– 2.543 mol/L in the group PRE-IUGR and 7.639 +/– 2.728 mol/L in the control group. Conclusions: Increased levels of homocysteine are involved in pathogenesis IUGR and preeclampsia and may contribute to endothelial cells activation or dysfunction observed in these pregnancy disorders. Further studies are needed to explain these aspects in order to improve the management and therapeutic strategies for pregnancies complicated by IUGR and/or preeclampsia.