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Blood levels of neuropeptide Y are elevated in pregnant women with preeclampsia and eclampsia, according to a study of 24 pregnant women. This indicates that both of these complications of pregnancy are partly caused by activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Byline: Abdul Halim, Naohiro Kanayama, Emad el Maradny, Akira Nakashima, A.B. Bhuiyanb, Selina Khatun, Toshihiko Terao Keywords: P selectin (GMP-140); glycocalicin; preeclampsia-eclampsia; platelet activation; endothelial cell activation Abstract: OBJECTIVE: We measured the concentrations of plasma P selectin (or GMP-140) and glycocalicin in preeclamptic and eclamptic women. Correlations between these two parameters and blood pressures, platelet counts, or plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex values were evaluated. STUDY DESIGN: By use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays we measured the plasma GMP-140 and glycocalicin levels in normal pregnancies (n = 10) and preeclamptic (n = 10) and eclamptic (n = 20) pregnancies. The glycocalicin index was calculated as follows: (glycocalicin x [250 x 10.sup.6/ml])/(Individual platelet counts). Correlations between plasma GMP-140, glycocalicin, glycocalicin index values, blood pressures, platelet counts, and plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex values were analyzed. RESULTS: Plasma GMP-140 levels were found to be significantly elevated in preeclamptic (p < 0.0005) and eclamptic cases (p < 0.0001) compared with normotensive controls. Plasma glycocalicin (p = 0.01, 0.007) and glycocalicin index (p = 0.005, 0.002) values were also markedly elevated in preeclamptic and eclamptic patients compared with normal pregnant patients. Significant correlations between platelet counts or plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex levels and their corresponding plasma GMP-140 and glycocalicin and glycocalicin index values have been found in preeclamptic and eclamptic cases. However, blood pressures had correlations with GMP-140, glycocalicin, and glycocalicin index values in eclamptic cases. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated an elevation of plasma GMP-140 and platelet glycocalicin in preeclampsia and eclampsia. This study also reflects the usefulness of glycocalicin as a marker of platelet activation or turnover and endothelial dysfunction in these diseases. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1996;174:272-7.) Author Affiliation: Hamamatsu, Japan, and Dhaka, Bangladesh Article History: Received 13 December 1994; Revised 14 April 1995; Accepted 15 May 1995 Article Note: (footnote) [star] From the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine,a and Dacca Medical College and Hospital. b , [star][star] Reprint requests: Abdul Halim, MB, BS, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 3600 Handa-cho, Hamamatsu 431-31, Japan., a 0002-9378/96 $5.00 + 0 6/1/66316