Introduction

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disesae of pregnancy, which is estimated to complicate 2%-8% of pregnancies and remains a main cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Although the mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia have not been fully elucidated, severe inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, angiogenesis, oxidative stress, immunological and genetic factors, have been suggested as main components in the development of preeclampsia. An increased left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) ave previously been reported in chronic hypertensive pregnant women, as a consequence of severe inflammation.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the relation of LVMI, as an indicator of left ventricular hypertrophy, with both the presence and severity of preeclampsia.

Methods

In this case-control study, a total of 100 pregnant subjects who had presented to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic with the diagnosis of mild (n=55) to severe (n=45) pre-eclampsia were included as a pre-eclampsia group. Control group was composed of 40 subjects, who had no known hypertension, and an uncomplicated pregnancy, presented to the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic for routine prenatal screenings. All study participants underwent 2-D transthoracic echocardiography imaging and LVMI was calculated using the Devereux Formula after measurements of the left ventricle diameter, interventricular septum (IVS), and posterior wall thickness (PWT). Devereux formula defined as 0.80 × (1.04 (IVSD + LVPWd + LVEDD)³ – LVEDD³+ 0.6 g. Furthermore, pentraxin-3 levels were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios (NLR) were calculated.