SERUM IRON PARAMETERS IN PRE-ECLAMPTIC AND NORMOTENSIVE PREGNANT PATIENTS: FROM THE LAGOS UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL. IKEJA, LAGOS

Abstract

Among the major causes of maternal mortality is
h y p e r t e n s i v e d i s e a s e i n p r e g n a n c y, i n c l u d i n g
preeclampsia1,2. The causes of the disease are complex
and not fully understood, hence it is termed a disease of
theories. It has however been shown that poor placentation
may be the culprit3,4. The effect of poor placentation is
partial invasion of the spiral arteries by the trophoblasts,
thus making the lumen smaller than normal after the 18th
week of pregnancy when placentation is presumably
complete. The obstructive lesion of the spiral arteries
termed acute atherosis leads to placental ischemia with the
production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) like
hydrogen peroxide and superoxides5 .It is presumed that
these (ROS) may be the cause of the generalized
endothelial cell damage that is seen in preeclampsia6.
The ROS are only able to initiate endothelial cell damage in
the presence of catalytic amounts of ions especially iron
through the generation of very highly reactive hydroxyl
radicals7.These radicals can lead to lipid peroxidation
w h i c h m a y t h e n r e s u l t i n e n d o t h e l i a l c e l l
damage8,producing the preeclampsia syndrome
The objective was to determine the serum iron parameters
in parturients with and without preeclampsia