Comparison of Serum Heat-Shock Protein 70 Levels in Pre-Eclampsia with Normal Pregnancy

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are intracellular proteins which are expressed in cell during stress responses. In normal pregnancy، circulating HSP70 levels are decreased and it was suggested to be elevated in several pregnancy complications. The role of circulating HSP70 in normal and pathological pregnancies is not fully known. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum HSP70 levels and preeclampsia.

This cross sectional study was conducted on 41 preeclamptic women and 39 healthy pregnant women in third trimester of pregnancy who admitted to Qaem hospital of Mashhad، Iran in 2010-2011. All subjects were in their first pregnancy. The two groups were followed until delivery in terms of maternal and fetal complications. Serum HSP70 levels were measured using ELISA method in patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16)، independent t-test، Fisher''s exact and Mann-Whitney tests. P value less than 0. 05 was considered significant.

The two groups were not significantly different in terms of maternal age، gestational age and body mass index (p>0. 05). Serum HSP70 levels in patients with preeclampsia were significantly higher than those with normal pregnancies (p<0. 001). There was no significant relationship between HSP70 and body mass index as well as between HSP70 and maternal age and gestational age (p>0. 05). There was no correlation between HSP70 and maternal systolic blood pressure (p<0. 001).

Serum HSP70 levels in patients with preeclampsia was higher than those with normal pregnancy. Serum HSP70 is not only be a marker for these conditions، it may also play an important role in pathogenesis of preeclampsia.