Comparison of serum neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels in pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnant women

Objective: To compare the serum neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels between pre-eclamptic (PE) and healthy pregnant women. Methodology: Twenty-two pre-eclamptic and 20 normotensive pregnant women were enrolled in the study after taking written informed consent. Demographic data was recorded. Biochemical parameters like serum uric acid and serum creatinine levels were noted from patient record. Blood pressure (BP) was measured by a standard sphygmomanometer and spot urine sample was collected to detect urine protein by dipstick method. Blood samples were collected and serum levels of NGAL were determined by ELISA. Data analysis was carried out by using SPSS version 20.0. Result: Out of 22 pre-eclampsia women, 64% had late pre-eclampsia and remaining presented with early disease. The degree of disease was severe in 55% patients and other presented with milder form of pre-eclampsia. The mean serum NGAL was 135.13 +/- 113.94 ng/ml in PE group and 132.10 +/- 53.36 ng/ml in control group (p=0.290). Serum uric acid and creatinine were high in PE group, indicating kidney injury in pre-eclamptic subjects. Conclusion: Serum NGAL levels were not associated with pre-eclampsia disease although higher NGAL levels were found in patients which may indicates some inflammatory processes. Further studies on larger scale should be conducted to confirm the clinical findings for an increase of NGAL levels.