Evaluation of Androgen and Progesterone Levels in Women with Preeclampsia

Background: preeclampsia along with its complicationsseems to be one of the major causes of maternal morbidity andmortality. despite numerous studies, the pathology of preeclampsiahas not yet been fully elucidated. this study, therefore,determines whether maternal serum leve is of androgenand progesterone are higher in patients with preeclampsia thanin matched control subjects.methods: serum progesterone, free and total testosterone, anddehydroepiandrosterone levels were measured in 19 women intheir third trimester of pregnancy having preeclampsia, as patientgroup, and in 17 healthy normotensive pregnant women,as control group, with similar maternal and gestational ages.all women were primigravida with singleton pregnancy.results: there were no significant differences between thetwo groups in body mass index, maternal and gestational ages.progesterone and free testosterone levels were significantlylower (p(less than)o.01) in patients (75.1 (plus-minus)8.6 ng/dl and 2.27(plus-minus)1.74 pg/dl)than of control group (1i1.6(plus-minus)9. 71 ng/dl and 3. 73(plus-minus)] .3] pg/dl).whereas, the levels of total testosterone (l .02(plus-minus)o.] 0 ng/dl vs.1.37(plus-minus).o] 9ng/dl) and dehydroepiandrosterone (o.99(plus-minus)o.13 ug/dlvs. o.98(plus-minus)5.15 ug/dl) of patients and control groups were notsignificantly different.conclusion: levels of progesterone were pathologically andstatistically lower in preeclampsia than of control women withsimilar age, gestational age and body mass index. it seems thataccentuate increase sex hormone binding globulin is the causeof deceased free testosterone in preec larnpsia