| Pre-eclampsia is a syndrome which is characterized by the increase in blood pressure above 140/90, oedema and
proteinuria, and is one of the leading causes of maternal death and of complications in pregnancy that can occur
in the second half of pregnancy.Approximately 20 % of pregnant women in developing countries and 5 % of
pregnant women worldwide are affected, and it is the second leading cause of maternal death in developing
countries, including Iran . Homocysteine (2-amino-4-mercapto-butyric acid), is a sulphur-containing amino acid
without special codon and is created by an essential amino acid methionine demethylation from the diet.
Homocysteine has sulphydryl group, which makes it more susceptible to other thiol oxidation and disulphide
formation. Folic acid is water-soluble vitamin, and despite the need to get pregnancy to avoid disruption process
of the nervous system of the fetus, NTD for antioxidant effects reduces oxidative stress, and the concentration
and oxidation of homocysteine, therefore, diet and supplements during pregnancy is important.This case-control
study was conducted on healthy pregnant women visiting Taleghani and Al Zahra hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, as
well as on women with pre-eclampsia admitted to these two hospitals. Fifty-eight samples were selected as
controls and 58 subjects were selected as cases. The blood samples were prepared with their consents. Parameter
measured included homocysteine concentration in blood. In addition, a questionnaire was completed to collect
information on age, gestational stage, height, weight, weight before pregnancy and folic acid (B9) intake. The
results in this study are based on the inhibition of confounding variables and indicate significant differences in
homocysteine status. The people, who received folic acid supplements during pregnancy were 20, and finally
60% of them were diagnosed with gestational hypertension, have been hospitalized, and 40% of them were in
the control group.Elevated homocysteine levels can be considered as a factor in the etiology of preeclampsia.
The type of diet and dietary antioxidants, including folic acid, in reducing homocysteine-induced oxidative
stress, and improve preeclamptic women is important. |