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Racial Variation in Serum Uric Acid Concentration in Pregnancy: a Comparison between European, New Zealand Maori and Polynesian Women
Author(s) -
Barry Christopher L.,
Royle Gordon A.,
Lake Yvonne
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1992.tb01889.x
Subject(s) - uric acid , pacific islanders , demography , medicine , third trimester , pregnancy , obstetrics , gestation , biology , sociology , genetics , population
EDITORIAL COMMENT : This paper confirms the findings of the study reported by Carter and Child (Aust NZ J Obstet Gynaecol 1989; 29: 213–214) that serum uric acid values increase during pregnancy. It provides extra data that the serum uric acid values are higher in New Zealand Maori and Pacific Islanders than in New Zealand European women. The authors did not tackle RA Fay's hypothesis (Aust NZ J Obstet Gynaecol 1990; 30:141–142) that the rise in serum uric acid in patients with preeclampsia is secondary to placental damage rather than alteration in renal function. None of the patients in this New Zealand study had hypertension or renal disease. The next step is to tell us when women with chronic renal disease, with or without superadded preeclampsia, and who have uric acid values well above the 0.45 mmol/l upper limit of normal, require delivery when tests of fetal well‐being (cardiotocography, blood flow studies) remain within normal limits. When do sustained high uric acid values signal that irreversible renal failure is imminent? Summary A prospective study was undertaken to measure serum uric acid levels in normal pregnant women of different races, to ascertain if there was any significant interracial variation. A total of 48 women were studied of which 13 were European, 11 New Zealand Maori, 22 Pacific Islanders and 2 Indian. In the second trimester, European, Maori and Cook Island women had similar uric acid levels and other Polynesian groups showed significantly higher levels. In the third trimester, both Maori and Cook Island women showed a marked rise so that their levels came to equal those of other Polynesian groups, all 3 having significantly higher levels than European women. The importance of these observations relates to the use of uric acid levels in the management of patients with gestational proteinuric hypertension. It is possible that in these cases unusually high results may alarm the clinician into hasty intervention.