Homocysteine and folate plasma concentrations in mother and baby at delivery after pre-eclamptic or normotensive pregnancy: influence of parity

Mistry, Hiten D.; Mather, Joanna; Ramsay, Margaret M.; Kurlak, Lesia O.; Symonds, Michael E.; Broughton Pipkin, Fiona

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia affects between 2-7% of all pregnant women, contributing to perinatal and maternal morbidity. There are conflicting data on plasma homocysteine and folate in pre-eclampsia, and little about fetal concentrations.
Objectives: Firstly, to compare the concentrations of homocysteine and folate in maternal and paired fetal (umbilical venous) plasma samples from normotensive or pre-eclamptic pregnancies at delivery; secondly, to identify any effect of parity on these concentrations.
Study design: Hospital based cross-sectional study consisting of 24 normotensive and 16 pre-eclamptic pregnant White European women from whom maternal and fetal plasma samples were collected at delivery.
Main outcome measures: Maternal and fetal plasma homocysteine and folate concentrations between normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnancies with varying parity.
Results: There were no significant differences in either maternal or fetal plasma homocysteine or folate concentrations between normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnancies, or between homocysteine and folate. In both the normotensive and pre-eclamptic women, plasma folate concentration was higher in paired fetal compared to maternal plasma (P < 0.001 and P = 0.047 respectively). With regards to homocysteine, only the normotensive samples had higher fetal concentrations (P = 0.002). Both maternal and fetal plasma folate concentrations were lower in parous women (P = 0.001; P = 0.017 respectively), the lowest concentrations being in pre-eclamptic parous women (P = 0.004), but homocysteine concentrations were similar (P > 0.4 for both).
Conclusions: The low plasma folate in parous women is an interesting finding and, when intake is also low, may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly in relation to pre-eclampsia.

Citation

Mistry, H. D., Mather, J., Ramsay, M. M., Kurlak, L. O., Symonds, M. E., & Broughton Pipkin, F. (2011). Homocysteine and folate plasma concentrations in mother and baby at delivery after pre-eclamptic or normotensive pregnancy: influence of parity. Pregnancy Hypertension, 1(2), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.preghy.2011.01.006

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 31, 2011
• Online Publication Date: Feb 12, 2011
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2017
• Journal: Pregnancy Hypertension
• Print ISSN: 2210-7789
• Electronic ISSN: 2210-7797
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.preghy.2011.01.006
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/707293
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210778911000213?via%3Dihub
• Contract Date: Jul 19, 2017