Hatav Ghasemi Tehrani - Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Background and Aim : To assess the endothelial function via noninvasive method, in pregnant womenwith preeclampsia compared to to normotensive pregnant women.Methods : Brachial artery diameter was measured via ultrasound, in 28 women with preeclampcia in casegroup and normotensive pregnant women in control group, at rest, after inflation of sphygmomanometercuff up to 250-300 mmHg, immediately after deflation of the cuff, 60-90 minutes later and 5 min afteradministration of sublingual trinitroglycerin (TNG). Results of these measurements as well as demographiccharacteristics of participants in both groups were recorded in special forms. Data were analyzed viaStatistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16, using t-test and repeated measures analysis ofvariance (ANOVA). P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results were presented asmean ± standard deviation (SD).Results : The mean of brachial artery diameter at rest in the case and control groups was 4.49 ± 0.39 and4.08 ± 0.38 mm, respectively (P = 0.1). Also the results showed that the brachial artery diameter,immediately after deflation of the cuff, was 4.84 ± 0.4 and 4.37 ± 0.30 mm in the case and control groups(P < 0.001), respectively. The mean brachial artery diameter, 60-90 s after deflation of the cuff, was 4.82 ±0.41 and 4.42 ± 0.38 mm in the case and control groups (P < 0.00), respectively. The brachial arterydiameter, 5 min after sublingual NO administration, was 4.95 ± 0.6 and 4.40 ± 0.45 mm in case and controlgroups (P < 0.001), respectively. Applying of repeated measures ANOVA showed that the mean differencebetween case and control groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001).Conclusion : Current study concluded that there is no difference in endothelium-dependent vasodilationbetween women with preeclampsia and pregnant women with normal blood pressure.

Brachial artery diameter, endothelium-dependent vasodilation, Endothelium-dependent vasodilation-Preeclampsia- Nitric oxide (NO), NO, normotensive, preeclampsia