Publication:

Relation of serum visfatin level and uterine artery Doppler to preeclampsia

Background Preeclampsia (PE) is a significant cause of remarkable fetomaternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Visfatin is 52 KDa novel adipokine, pre B cell colony enhancing factor (PBEF) which could be used as a biochemical marker predictor or a diagnostic tool for preeclampsia. Trans abdominal pulsed Doppler ultrasound (US) monitor the impedance to blood flow in the uterine arteries in pregnant females and those with preeclampsia. Visfatin has been implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia with a limited contradictory. The aim of our study is to monitor the risky pregnant females through Visfatin level and transabdominal pulsed Doppler of the uterine artery.

Methods Assessment of the serum Visfatin levels in the maternal circulation of preeclamptic pregnant females wether mild or severe, and compared to those in the normal pregnant subjects as control through recruitment of cases of mild PE (n=40), severe PE (n=40), normal pregnant subjects (n=60) in a cross sectional study where the cases were of the patients hospitalized at El Shatby Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the control subjects were of referrals to the outpatient departments. Fasting blood samples were drawn, kept at -20 degree centigrades , enzyme linked immune sorbant assay (ELISA) Test was performed on them to determine the Visfatin level and recorded the uterine arteries pulsatility index through transabdominal doppler ultrasound. Lastly, the data were analysed using (F test) ANOVA statistical method.

Results Amongst the groups, Serum visfatin level was significantly higher in the severe preeclamptic group rather than the normal pregnant group and those with mild preeclampsia (p<0.001). Uterine artery pulsatility index was significantly higher in the severe preeclamptic group rather than the normal pregnant group and those with mild preeclampsia (p<0.001).

Conclusions Severe preeclamptic pregnant females were shown to represent higher circulating visfatin levels as one of the most recent biochemical markers of preeclampsia, higher uterine artery pulsatility index compared to normal pregnant and those with mild preeclamptic groups of women.