Homocysteine and other plasma amino acids in preeclampsia and in pregnancies without complications

Objectives: To evaluate a) the plasma amino acid changes observed in pregnant women (n = 124) and b) the homocysteine and other amino acid changes in preeclampsic patients (n = 18), and to determine c) whether these changes were also evident in nonpregnant women with a prior history of preeclampsia (n = 18). Design and methods: Case-control study. Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy): HPLC with fluorescence detection, and amino acids (AA): ion exchange chromatography. Results: a) Significantly lower absolute AA values were observed in the pregnant controls for homocysteine, total, essential, and nonessential AA compared with nonpregnant controls. b) In preeclampsia, significantly higher absolute values of tHcy, total, essential and nonessential AA were observed, but relative values referred to total AA were not different. These changes corrected after delivery. Conclusions: Hyperhomocysteinemia and an increase in most AA levels were observed in preeclampsia. Relative AA values suggested that these changes might be explained by fluctuations in plasma volume. Abnormal AA levels corrected after delivery. (C) 2003 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. All rights reserved.