Electrokinetic indices of erythrocytes as diagnostic criteria for preeclampsia

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate the features of changes in the morphofunctional status of peripheral blood erythrocytes during normal pregnancy and in preeclampsia based on rapid analysis of biophysical parameters of cells.Materials and methods. A total of 136 pregnant women were examined at 22–24 and 34–35 weeks of gestation. The comparison groups included: 40 pregnant women with moderate preeclampsia (PE), 30 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia, 30 pregnant women with chronic arterial hypertension (CAH), 36 women with normal pregnancy who do not have signs of hypertensive disorders. Electrokinetic features of peripheral blood erythrocytes were studied using cellular microelectrophoresis, the average value of the amplitude of oscillations of mobile erythrocytes (μm) and the proportion of mobile cells (%) were analyzed.Results. At 22–24 weeks, the percentage of immobile erythrocytes in pregnant women with moderate PE increased by 2.8 times (p<0.05), the amplitude of oscillations of mobile cells decreased by 21% (p<0.05). In pregnant women with severe PE, the proportion of immobile erythrocytes increased by 3.2 times (p<0.05), the amplitude decreased by 30% (p<0.05). In pregnant women with CAH, a slight increase in the percentage of immobile cells (8.2 vs 6.8%) and a tendency to a decrease in the average amplitude (21.5 vs 23.2 μm) were noted. At 34–35 weeks in the group with moderate PE, the% of immobile erythrocytes exceeded the corresponding indicator in women with physiological pregnancy by 3.3 times (p<0.05), the average amplitude decreased by 28% (p<0.05), in pregnant women with severe PE, the% of immobile erythrocytes increased by 3.7 times (p<0.05), the amplitude decreased by 36% (p<0.05). In pregnant women with CAH, there was a tendency for a slight increase in the proportion of immobile erythrocytes.Conclusion. The functional and morphological usefulness of erythrocytes as active participants in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia can be objectively assessed using indicators of electrokinetic activity of cells, and erythrocytes can be considered as biomarkers of the disease and a promising tool for stratifying patients for early detection of high-risk pregnancies.