Preeclampsia and calcium adenosine triphosphatase activity of red blood cell ghosts.

OBJECTIVE

The current work was undertaken to study the calcium adenosine triphosphatase activity of red blood cell membranes from pregnant women with preeclampsia.

STUDY DESIGN

Six normotensive and six preeclamptic pregnant women at 38 to 39 weeks of gestation were studied. The diagnosis of preeclampsia was made on the basis of blood pressure (> 140/90 mm Hg), proteinuria (> 0.5 gm of urinary protein per day), or edema. Hemoglobin-free red blood cell ghosts were prepared from the heparinized blood samples and were used to determine the calcium adenosine triphosphatase activity.

RESULTS

It was found that the calcium adenosine triphosphatase activity of preeclamptic women is diminished by about 50% compared with that of normotensive pregnant women.

CONCLUSION

A diminution of the calcium adenosine triphosphatase activity of erythrocytes in preeclampsia might be an indication that the in vivo activity of the calcium pump of these cells is diminished, which could, in turn, drive the cells to increase their cytoplasmic free calcium concentration.