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Angiotensin II levels in hypertensive and normotensive pregnancies
Author(s) -
HANSSENS MYRIAM,
KEIRSE MARC J. N. C.,
SPITZ BERNARD,
ASSCHE F. ANDRE
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1991.tb13361.x
Subject(s) - pregnancy , medicine , angiotensin ii , radioimmunoassay , endocrinology , chronic hypertension , renin–angiotensin system , hypertension in pregnancy , obstetrics , gestation , blood pressure , preeclampsia , biology , genetics
Summary. We measured circulating angiotension II by radioimmunoassay in women with pregnancy‐induced hypertension ( n = 54 ), and compared these values with those obtained in women with normal pregnancy ( n = 18 ) and in non pregnant women ( n = 20 ). Pregnant women had statistically significantly higher plasma angiotensin II [mean (SD): 41.3 (12.6) pg/ml] than non‐pregnant women [ 29.2 (11.3) pg/ml; P < 0.004 ]. Angiotensin II concentrations in women with pregnancy‐ induced hypertension [mean (SD): 31.7 (16.2) pg/ml] were, on average, 25% lower than in normal pregnancy ( P < 0.003 ) and resembled those obtained in non‐pregnant women. The lowest angiotensin II levels were found in women with more severe forms of pregnancy‐induced hypertension, such as proteinuric or superimposed pregnancy‐induced hypertension. Review of the published studies on angiotensin II and our data suggest that the conflict among studies on angiotensin II levels in pregnancy‐induced hypertension is largely due to the heterogeneity of the study populations in the various reports.