Essential fatty acids profile and lipid peroxides in severe pre-eclampsia.

There is increasing evidence that an imbalance between products of arachidonic acid metabolism (such as prostaglandins, prostacyclin and thromboxane A2) and lipid peroxidation products might have a role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. In order to study some of the changes taking place in pre-eclampsia, the plasma concentrations of essential fatty acids and lipid peroxidation products [measured as thiobarbituric-acid (TBA)-reactive substance] were evaluated in 25 patients with severe pre-eclampsia and 20 normal pregnant control subjects. Arachidonic acid concentration (median and range) was significantly higher in the pre-eclamptic group (14.1; 11.0-19.8 micrograms/L) compared with the normal pregnant subjects (2.5; 2.0-4.4 micrograms/L). Plasma concentration of TBA-reactive substance was also significantly higher in the pre-eclamptic cases (14.8; 13.4-16.8 vs 11.4; 9.0-12.8). These results suggest that arachidonic acid and lipid peroxidation products may play a role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.