(31)P and (1)H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Blood Plasma in Female Patients with Preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE: Using (31)P and (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure phosphorus- and hydrogen-containing metabolites, this study aimes to investigate whether or not women with preeclampsia have detectable systemic abnormalities concerning certain components of the blood plasma. METHODS: Plasma was obtained from two groups of women: Group 1 with preeclampsia (n=10) and Group 2, as a control group with no complications during pregnancy (n=10). Plasma analysis were performed using in-vitro (31)P and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS: (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra showed significantly higher levels of lysophosphatidylcholine 1 in the plasma of the patients in Group 1, along with significantly decreased levels of lysophosphatidylcholine 2 and phosphatidylinositol. However, the total amount of phospholipids did not differ significantly between the groups. In addition, the (1)H NMR spectra showed a significantly lower level of HDL in samples from Group 1, and a trend towards higher plasma levels of VLDL 2 and LDL 2 in the same group. CONCLUSION: This study supports the theory that preeclampsia is a disorder in phospholipid metabolism in which malfunctioning of cellular membranes seems to play a major pathogenic role.