Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity is associated with the risk of preeclampsia: influence on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity and phenotypes in preeclampsia and its possible association with lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and oxidative stress in preeclamptic women.

METHODS

In a case-control study, 101 pregnant women with normal pregnancy and 198 women with preeclampsia from Western Iran were studied. The serum BChE activity and phenotypes were measured using spectrophotometric method. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes were identified using PCR-RFLP. The serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined by HPLC and commercial kits, respectively.

RESULTS

The BChE activity and the frequency of non-usual BChE phenotype in preeclamptic women were significantly lower and higher, respectively compared to controls. There was a higher BChE activity in the presence of APOE ε3ε4 compared to ε3ε3 genotype in preeclamptic women. In addition, there were significant positive correlations between BChE activity and the levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, total cholesterol (TC) and TAC. However, there was a negative but significant correlation between BChE activity and MDA level.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study for the first time indicated that BChE activity might be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia through influence on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and oxidative stress.