Amino acid profile of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in preeclampsia

ObjectivesTo determine patterns in amino acids (arginine, GABA, glutamate and glutamine) and the diamine (agmatine) in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of mild and severe preeclampsia compared to control patients, using capillary zone electrophoresis to generate methods for refining diagnosis and prognosis and shed light on the pathophysiological mechanisms of preeclampsia.Study designThis is an observational case-control study in pregnant women that attended the emergency ward of the University Hospital, Mérida, Venezuela, during the period April, 2009–April 2010.Main outcome measuresMolar concentration of amino acids and diamine in plasma and CSF in control, mild and severe preeclampsia patients.ResultsAn increase in glutamate plasma levels was observed in mild preeclampsia and even higher in severe patients, while a biphasic response occurred in the CSF samples with a significant increment in mild preeclampsia patients and a decrease in severe preeclampsia patients. GABA significantly decreased both in plasma and CSF in mild preeclampsia with a tendency to return to normal levels in severe preeclampsia patients. Arginine CSF and plasma levels decreased in mild preeclampsia patients and even more in severe preeclampsia while agmatine significantly increased in plasma levels with no changes in CSF.ConclusionsThe results are discussed in terms of molecules that could be used as biomarkers of the severity of the disease and the possible involvement of these substances in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.