Publication:

Liver function tests in patients of pre-eclampsia in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India: a clinical study

Background Pre-eclampsia is a multisystem disorder, which occurs only in pregnant women during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and is associated with raised blood pressure and proteinuria. Liver function Test (LFT) abnormalities occur in 3% of the pregnancies and probably the lesion that causes elevated serum liver enzymes. This study was conducted to compare the liver function tests in pre-eclampsia with normal pregnancy.

Methods This study was carried out on 60 pregnant women after 20 weeks of gestation admitted in Obstetrics and Gynaecology units of Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhilai, and Chhattisgarh. The subjects were divided into two groups. Group A comprised of 30 cases of pre-eclampsia having blood pressure ≥ 140/90mm Hg, proteinuria in 24 hours ≥ 300 mg and edema.  Group B had 30 normal pregnant women after 20 weeks of gestation. The data including parity, period of gestation, blood pressure and presenting complaints of all subjects were recorded. Serum bilirubin, total protein, albumin and plasma levels of liver enzymes ALT and AST were measured.

Results The mean value of serum bilirubin in cases was 3.45 and in controls it was 0.50. The mean value of enzymes ALT in cases was 92.7 while in the controls it was 22.37. Mean serum AST in the cases was 85.43 and in the controls,  it was 21.96. Total protein in cases was 7.77 and controls it was 7.26. Albumin level in cases was 4.62 and controls were 4.17.

Conclusions Increased concentrations of serum bilirubin, total protein, albumin and liver enzymes ALT, AST were found in pre-eclampsia cases.