L-arginine metabolism in early-onset and late-onset pre-eclamptic pregnancies. (August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tamás, Péter; Bódis, József; Sulyok, Endre; Kovács, Gábor L.; Hantosi, Eszter; Molnár, Gábor; Martens-Lobenhoffer, Jens; Bode-Böger, Stefanie M.
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of clinical & laboratory investigation. Volume 73:Number 5(2013)
• Page Start: 436
• Page End: 443
• Publication Date: 2013-08
• Subjects: Clinical biochemistry -- Periodicals; Physiology, Pathological -- Periodicals; Physiology, Experimental -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Research -- Periodicals; Clinical medicine -- Periodicals; 616.0072
• DOI: 10.3109/00365513.2013.803230
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0036-5513

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold> <italic>Objective</italic>.</bold> The present case-control study was undertaken to investigate l-arginine metabolism in pregnant women with early-onset and late-onset pre-eclampsia. Attempts were made to differentiate these two distinct diseases entities by using measured and derived parameters of l-arginine metabolism. <bold><italic>Study design</italic>.</bold> Thirty-six patients with early-onset, 17 patients with late-onset pre-eclampsia and 15 healthy pregnant women at term were studied. Patients were categorized according to the weeks of gestation (< 34 vs. ≥ 34) at the appearance of clinical symptoms (hypertension + proteinuria). Venous samples were taken at gestational age of 29.8 ± 2.5, 36.1 ± 2.2 and 39.2 ± 1.2 weeks, respectively. L-arginine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), monomethylarginine (MMA) and l-ornithine were measured by LC-MS/MS method. L-arginine/ADMA, l-ornithine/l-arginine, ADMA/SDMA ratios and the arginine methylation index (arg-MI) were calculated. <bold><italic>Results</italic>.</bold> Plasma levels of ADMA and MMA were significantly higher (<italic>p</italic> < 0.002) in pre-eclamptic patients than in healthy women. No significant differences could be detected between patients with early-onset and late-onset pre-eclampsia in either parameter studied. L-ornithine correlated positively with ADMA (<italic>r</italic> = 0.526, <italic>p</italic> < 0.001) and MMA (<italic>r</italic> = 0.533, <italic>p</italic> < 0.001) in the whole study population, and inversely with l-arginine (<italic>r</italic> = − 0.277, <italic>p</italic> < 0.044) in the pre-eclamptic group. When compared with maternal plasma in venous cord blood l-arginine was markedly reduced (<italic>p</italic> < 0.05) and there was a significant elevation in ADMA, SDMA, MMA and l-ornithine (<italic>p</italic> < 0.001, for each) without discernible differences between the study groups. <bold><italic>Conclusions</italic>.</bold> Parameters of l-arginine metabolism do not discriminate the early-onset from late-onset pre-eclampsia. Our study provided indirect evidences for the redirection of l-arginine-NOS to the l-arginine-arginase pathway.</p> </abstract>