Plasma homocysteine in late pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia and in newborns.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between maternal serum homocysteine levels in preeclampsia and the severity of the disease, neonatal serum homocysteine levels, maternal complications, and fetal outcome. Fifty pregnant women were included in this prospective study, of which 25 were severe (group I) and 25 were non-severe preeclamptic (group II). Maternal and neonatal serum homocysteine levels were measured by the fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) method. Maternal homocysteine levels in both groups were compared. The association of maternal and neonatal serum homocysteine levels with maternal complications and fetal outcome was investigated. When the maternal serum homocysteine cut-off value was accepted as 15 micromol/L, significant differences in relation to maternal (eclampsia; hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome) and fetal (in utero mort fetalis, low birthweight) complications were observed between the group with maternal serum homocysteine level > 15 micromol/L and the group with maternal serum homocysteine level < or = 15 micromol/L ( p < 0.05). Hyperhomocysteinemia during pregnancy is a risk factor for both development of preeclampsia and its complications. Given that the diagnosis and treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia is possible, clinical trials to determine whether treatment to reduce homocysteine would be valuable in the prevention of both maternal and fetal complications in preeclampsia should be designed.