A controlled study of maternal serum concentrations of lipoproteins in pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Seventeen women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and 17 controls with uncomplicated pregnancy who were matched for maternal and gestational age were investigated for lipid concentrations in whole serum and lipoprotein fractions. The triglyceride level in the low-density lipoprotein fraction was higher in PIH patients than in controls (P < 0.03). The differences between values of other parameters did not attain the level of statistical significance, although the tendency of the results was consistent with findings reported in other studies. The differences observed were small and the data exhibited wide variation. Therefore, it appears unlikely that serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations could gain major clinical importance as diagnostic parameters in PIH.