Correlation of serum lactate dehydrogenase and uric acid levels with severity parameters of preeclampsia

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy specific disease with multisystem complications. In PE endothelial cell injury leads to alteration of various biochemical parameters. Levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) & uric acid are known to be elevated in PE. This study was conducted to correlate these two parameters with severity parameters of PE such as blood pressure & proteinuria and to associate these parameters with severity of PE. Aim: To compare serum LDH and uric acid levels between healthy pregnant and preeclamptic women, and to correlate their levels with severity parameters such as BP & proteinuria. Materials and Methods: This is a case-control study conducted between normotensive pregnant (n=50) and preeclamptic women (27 mild PE & 23 severe PE). Serum uric acid was estimated by Uricase method and LDH by enzymatic method. ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation tests were used to analyse the data. The results are expressed as Mean + SD and P value Results: Serum uric acid (mild 7.53 + 1.35; severe 8.16 + 1.57) and LDH (mild 405.56 + 42.69; severe 735.22 + 108.36) levels were significantly elevated in PE group compared to controls (uric acid 4.53 + 1.30; LDH 227.68 + 58.85). The correlation analysis of LDH with systolic blood pressure (SBP) & proteinuria in severe PE group indicated a positive association. However, when uric acid was correlated, SBP associated negatively and proteinuria correlated positively. Conclusion: LDH can be used as a biochemical marker for severity of PE as its levels correlated with other severity parameters of PE unlike that of serum uric acid. Keywords: Preeclampsia, Lactate dehydrogenase, Uric acid.