Online ISSN: 2515-8260

A Study of Serum Copper Levels in Preeclampsia and its Correlation with the Severity of Pre-Eclampsia

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Sandip Lambe1 , Rahul Narkhede2

Abstract

Background: Pre-eclampsia is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by development of hypertension to the extent of 140/90 mm of Hg or more with proteinuria after the 20th week in a previously normotensive and non-proteinuric patient. Incidence of Pre-eclampsia varies from 8-10% in India, being 10% in the primigravidae and 5% in multigravidae. Objective: The present study, conducted in the department of Biochemistry of a tertiary care teaching hospital, proposes the value of serum copper levels as marker in etiopathogenesis and in assessment of the severity of pre-eclampsia. Methods: The serum copper levels were measured in sixty newly diagnosed preeclampsia patients admitted in the wards of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the tertiary care teaching hospital and sixty age and sex matched normal healthy relatives of patients attending the Out Patient Departments. Result: The outcome of the study indicated that the levels of serum copper were increased statistically significantly in the pre-eclampsia cases group when equated to the normal pregnant control group. Moreover when levels of serum copper were correlated with the systolic and the diastolic blood pressure in pre-eclampsia patients, significant positive correlation was detected. Conclusion: Hence the result obtained concludes that serum copper level may be considered as an influence having a role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease and may also be used as severity indicator in patients with pre-eclampsia.

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