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(Hypertension. 2006;47:e17.)
© 2006 American Heart Association, Inc.

Letters to the Editor

NO in Early Pregnancy and Development of Preeclampsia

Experimental Pharmacology and Cellular Metabolism Unit, Biomedical Center, Central University, Quito, Ecuador

Gustavo Molina; Andres Calle

Hospital Gineco-Obstetrico Isidro Ayora, Quito, Ecuador

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

To the Editor:

We read with interest the article published by Khan et al.¹ Between April 2001 and November 2002 we conducted a prospective study approved by the Bioethics Committee.^2,3 There were included 68 healthy pregnant women, primigravidae, younger than 25 years, and attending the Hospital Gineco Obstetrico Isidro Ayora in Quito, Ecuador. All women were included at 16 weeks of gestation and were evaluated every 4 weeks until week 36, after then every 2 weeks up to delivery. Onset of preeclampsia was defined as a blood pressure >140/90 mm Hg on at least 2 occasions more than 6 hours apart and proteinuria greater than 300 mg/dL. In every control a blood sample was taken and immediately transferred into a vial containing 3.15% sodium citrate (1:9 v/v) and gently mixed by inversion. Samples taken at delivery were obtained before labor activity was present. NO was quantified using a chemioluminicence system (NOA 280, Sievers System) as reported.⁴ Preeclampsia was found in 13.3% (n=9) of all studied women. Concentrations of NO were different in women with normal pregnancy (P=0.009), but not in women who developed preeclampsia. During normal pregnancy, NO concentrations at week 16 (29 standard error mean [SEM] 3.6 µmol/L) decreased at week 20 (21.1 SEM 1.7 µmol/L; P=0.04) and week 24 (18.7 SEM 1.7 µmol/L; P=0.01). However, at week 28, there was a slight increase (23.2 SEM 2 µmol/L), followed by a decline at week 32 (19.3 SEM 1.5 µmol/L, P=0.04 versus week 16). From . . . [Full Text of this Article]