A Comparative Study of Serum Leptin in Normotensive and Pre-eclamptic Nigerian Women

Background: Pre-eclampsia remains a significant contributor to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Research into changes associated with the disease offers some hope into identifying predictive and prognostic factors. In recent times, serum leptin has attracted interest as a possible marker for the disease. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the serum leptin levels in normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: This was a prospective case-control study design at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, Nigeria in which sixty three pregnant women who received antenatal care and developed pre-eclampsia were recruited into the study. For each selected pre-eclamptic, a matched normotensive was selected as control. Serum leptin level was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) ELISA. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in mean serum leptin levels between the normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnant patients 15.11±4.81 ng/dl vs 38.98±8.66 ng/dl; p<0.001. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference in mean leptin levels between mild and severe pre-eclampsia; 16.49±8.22 ng/dl vs 39.03±8.58 ng/dl;p<0.001.Conclusion: This study revealed an association between serum leptin level and pre-eclampsia. Serum leptin may be a potential marker for pre-eclampsia and deserves further investigation.