Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3
Resident of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Preeclampsia is one of the major causes of maternal mortality and identification of its risk factors in pregnant women may be accommodative. The purpose of the present study was to compare the serum androgens level during the third trimester of pregnancy between normotensive and preeclamptic women.
Methods: A case-control study was performed on 64 pregnant women with a gestational age of 28 weeks or more in Shahid Akbarabadi Hospital of Tehran from June to March, 2008. 32 of preeclamptic women were located into case group and 32 of normotensive one in control group. The serum level of androgens including sex hormone binding globulin, total and free testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were compared between both groups. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS statistical software version 16, chi-square, Student-T, Mann-Whitney and logistic regression. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The women of both groups did not have statistically significant difference in their age, BMI (Body Mass Index), parity and fetal sex (p>0.05). In comparison between case and control group, concentration of sex hormone binding globulin was 55.86±8.02 VS 90.86±9.30 nmol/ml, total testosterone was 2.06±0.24 VS 3.70±0.57 ng/ml, free testosterone was1.28±0.17 VS 0.74±0.07 pg/ml and androstenedione was 2.47±0.10 VS 2.17±0.10 ng/ml (p=0.02, p=0.01, p=0.01, p=0.04, respectively). However, there was no difference in concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (0.75±0.18 VS 0.51±0.08 μg/ml) between the two groups (p=0.19). Using logistic regression, among all measured variables, only free testosterone showed a significant correlation with the occurrence of preeclampsia.
Conclusion: Serum androgen levels are higher in preeclamptic women during third trimester of pregnancy.
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