A Comparative Study of Hepatic Enzymes Between Preeclampsia and Normal Pregnant Women

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder, unique to pregnancy that is usually associated with high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 week of gestation. Abnormal liver function tests occur in 20% to 30% of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and are associated with a higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcome. Objective: To observe the alteration of hepatic enzymes in preeclampsia. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, and Dhaka from July 2015 to June 2016. A total number of one hundred pregnant women in third trimester of pregnancy with or without preeclampsia, attending in the outpatient Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in DMCH, were selected as study subjects. Of them fifty pregnant women in third trimester of pregnancy were with preeclampsia and fifty were normal healthy pregnant women. Estimation of hepatic enzymes like aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and gamma glutamyl transferase were done in both preeclampsia and normal pregnant patients and mean values of the variables were compared between them. Results: The mean serum aspartate transaminase level was significantly higher in preeclampsia compared to normal pregnant woman (32.4 ± 15.4 IU/L vs 24.8 ±11.8 IU/L respectively and p 0.007). Serum alanine transaminase level was also significantly higher in preeclampsia than normal pregnancy (38.1±19.9 IU/L vs 18.8±6.95 IU/L, respectively and p < 0.001). Serum gamma glutamyl transferase was also significantly higher in preeclampsia than normal pregnancy (44.7±19.1 IU/L vs 26.6± 6.0 IU/L p < .001). Conclusions: Hepatic enzymes (alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, gamma glutamyl transferase) were increased. So routine assessment of these parameters may helpful to prevent worse outcome of preeclampsia patients.