Association of Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin with Preeclampsia and its severity.

Abstract

Background: Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are among the leading causes of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide particularly in developing countries. The pathogenesis of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy involves complex mechanisms including incomplete invasion and remodeling of the maternal spiral arteries, cytokines, and generalized endothelial dysfunction. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is an acute phase protein which appeared to be a biomaker for acute kidney injury. It has been found to be upregulated in pathological conditions following endothelial cell injury and it is also released from the maternal-fetal interface. However, its role and relationships in preeclampsia has not been fully evaluated especially in our environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the association between Serum Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and preeclampsia and its severity.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of fifty-eight (58) women with preeclampsia recruited as the study group while same number of normotensive pregnant women, served as the control. Serum NGAL levels in both groups were determined using ELISA. Data was analyzed using SPSS IBM version 26.0. Appropriate tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables in normotensive and preeclamptic women.

Results: The mean age of normotensive and preeclamptic patients were 28.17±5.57 and 27.98±6.34 (p= 0.573). Mean Serum NGAL Level in normotensive (77.36±40.15ng/ml) was significantly lower than the mean serum NGAL level (120.66±40.26ng/ml) among preeclamptic women (p<0.001). There is difference in the serum NGAL between mild preeclampsia (118.48±31.52ng/ml) and severe preeclampsia (122.43±46.60ng/ml) but was not statistically significant (p=0.714).

Conclusion: There is an association between serum NGAL levels and preeclampsia but not with severity of preeclampsia in the studied population.