Relation between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in twin pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between plasma adenosine and serum uric acid levels in women with singleton and twin pregnancies.

METHODS

We sampled maternal arterial blood and measured serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in 22 singleton pregnancies and nine twin pregnancies at 33 to 38 weeks' gestation.

RESULTS

The average plasma adenosine levels were 0.31 +/- 0.12 micromol/L in the singleton pregnancy group and 0.45 +/- 0.09 micromol/L in the twin pregnancy group (P <.001). The mean serum uric acid level in women with twin pregnancy was 5.7 +/- 0.44 mg/dL which was higher than that in the singleton pregnant women (4.4 +/- 0.69 mg/dL, P <.001). Positive correlations were found between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in both the singleton (r(2) = 0.54, P <.001) and the twin pregnancy groups (r(2) = 0.65, P =.009). Moreover, there was also a significant correlation between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels overall (r(2) = 0.66, P <.001).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that higher adenosine levels are a contributing source of hyperuricemia in twin pregnancies.