Abstract:
Aim: Pregnancies, including preeclampsia, are low-grade
systemic inflammation which has been associated with
complications. Endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia is
accompanied by elevated levels of inflammatory markers and
cytokines such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP),
tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Our
aim in this study is to assess the levels of these above markers
in preeclampsia and to predict its severity.
Materials and methods: A case-control study was performed
on 100 pregnant women with preeclampsia as cases (50 mild
and 50 severe) as per clinical guidelines and 50 healthy pregnant
women as controls. They were all age and parity-matched
primigravidas at the third trimester of pregnancy.
Results: Significantly increased (p < 0.001) serum levels of
hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-10 were found in cases of mild and
severe preeclamptic when compared to controls. In severe
preeclamptics, all these parameters were also found highly
significant in comparison to mild.
Conclusion and clinical significance: The observed high
levels of hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-10 in preeclamptic women
indicate that these markers can be used in identifying the
severity of preeclampsia and it can help the clinician in their
diagnosis, treatment, and management.