Increased serum heme oxygenase-1 levels as a diagnostic marker of oxidative stress in preeclampsia

Objective: To evaluate the utility of serum biomarkers in the diagnosis of preeclampsia (PE) and also investigate possible correlation with pathogenesis of PE. Methods: Maternal serum concentrations of heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) and N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) were measured at 27-34 weeks of gestation in a case-control study of 33 pregnant women diagnosed with PE and in 43 normotensive pregnant women without proteinuria. The Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's correlation were used for statistical analysis. Results: The median serum HO1 level was found to be significantly higher in the PE group [76.7 ng/ml (23.4-445.7)] than control group [55.9 ng/ml (3.7-354.3)] (p = 0.006). Positive correlation was found between HO1 levels with presence of PE (r = 0.316, p = 0.005). There was no significant difference in NDRG1 values between the two groups (p = 0.226). Conclusions: Serum HO1 levels were found to be increased in patients with PE compared with normotensive pregnant women.