Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline in pre-eclampsia, essential hypertension in pregnancy and normotensive pregnant control subjects.

Noradrenaline and adrenaline in plasma were determined in 15 patients with pre-eclampsia, 10 pregnant patients with essential hypertension, 2 patients with transient hypertension in pregnancy, 11 normotensive pregnant control subjects, and 16 non-pregnant normotensive control subjects. Measurements were performed in the second and third trimester, 5 days, and 3 months after delivery. Comparison within groups showed no significant differences in plasma noradrenaline or adrenaline between levels in pregnancy, 5 days after delivery, and 3 months after delivery in neither pre-eclampsia, essential hypertension nor normotensive pregnant control subjects. Comparison between groups showed no significant differences between the levels in pre-eclampsia, essential hypertension and normotensive pregnant control subjects, neither in pregnancy nor after delivery. Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline in pregnancy were the same as in normotensive non-pregnant control subjects. Plasma noradrenaline and blood pressure were not correlated in any of the groups. It is concluded that the sympathetic adrenergic activity evaluated by plasma catecholamines is normal in patients with pre-eclampsia and pregnant patients with essential hypertension.