Zonulin as marker of pregnancy induced hypertension: a case control study

Abstract

Background: Zonulin has been implicated in many metabolic disorders including hypertension and obesity. However, there is insufficient information about the involvement of zonulin in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) which comprises preeclampsia (PE) and gestational hypertension (GH). This study was therefore aimed at finding the level of this biochemical marker of regulation of tight junctions among women with PIH. Methods: A total of 88 women with PIH and 60 age and body mass index (BMI) matched healthy pregnant women controls were enrolled. Blood pressure at 11-13 weeks and after 20 weeks of gestation, body mass index (BMI) in addition to serum Zonulin levels and lipid profile were compared between the groups. Student's t-test was used for comparisons of the mean between the two groups. Correlation analyses were performed using Pearson's correlation and binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the factors associated with PIH. Results: Zonulin level was significantly higher in the participants with PIH as compared to the normal pregnant controls 56.81 ± 7.72 ng/ml vs 40.4 ± 8.60 ng/ml p < 0.0001 and had strong positive correlation with PIH (OR = 1.805; CI1.139-1.275; p < 0.0001). However, the association between first trimester lipids and PIH was weak. Conclusion: The results showed a strong positive correlation between zonulin and PIH, thus changes in intestinal permeability occur in early stages of pregnancy and may be involved in the pathogenesis of PIH.

Exosome-Enriched Plasma Analysis as a Tool for the Early Detection of Hypertensive Gestations

“…Notably, increased VLDL in HDP may reflex the presence of 30–85 nm VLDL particles dissolved in the plasma after differential centrifugation ( Li et al, 2018 ). VLDL was also described as an important molecule on HDP pathogenesis ( Bawah et al, 2020 ), and it is an independent contributor to hypertension associated with hyperhomocysteneimia, being considered a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis ( Chen et al, 2021 ). In addition, VLDL can be metabolized into low-density lipoproteins (LDL) that are transformed in the peripherical tissues in unsaturated fatty acids, which increase cholesterogenesis and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) family activation, also increasing adipokines and cytokines release, lipid metabolism, gluconeogenesis, and inflammation, thought to be important in HDP pathogenesis ( Gutaj et al, 2020 ).…”