MATERNAL SERUM ADIPONECTIN, LEPTIN, AND ADIPONECTIN/LEPTIN RATIO AS BIOMARKERS FOR PREECLAMPSIA

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is still one of the major causes of both maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Prevention, prediction, and effective management are therefore a major pillar in reducing these complications. Many hypotheses suggest that serum adiponectin and leptin may play a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, and this study evaluates the possibility of predicting preeclampsia by these biomarkers. Objective of the Study: To assess the level of maternal serum leptin, adiponectin, and the adiponectin/leptin ratio as biomarkers for prediction of preeclampsia. Patients and Methods: A prospective case-control study of one hundred pregnant women with singleton pregnancies in their second or third trimester, aged above 18 years, with normal or overweight body mass index, was conducted at Al-Khanssa and Al-Batool Teaching Hospitals in Mosul City, Iraq, from 7th January to 1st December 2023. The case group consisted of fifty pregnant women with PE, and the control group consisted of fifty normotensive pregnant women. Maternal serum leptin and adiponectin were measured and compared, along with the ratio between the study and control groups, and the results were analyzed statistically. Results: The mean age and BMI of cases were significantly higher than those of controls (p = 0.018, p < 0.001, respectively). The mean levels of serum leptin and adiponectin were significantly higher among cases than controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively), while no significant difference was detected between them regarding the adiponectin/leptin ratio. The area under the curve (for leptin and adiponectin as predictors of PE) was 0.759 (95% CI 0.663–0.855) and 0.679 (95% CI 0.575–0.783), respectively. The validity indicators of leptin and adiponectin as predictors of PE were as follows: sensitivity (72%, 54%), specificity (76%, 78%), PPV (75%, 71.1%), NPV (73.1%, 62.9%), and total agreement (74%, 66%), respectively. No significant difference was detected between the leptin and adiponectin test values and the real diagnosis of PE (p = 0.845 and 0.058, respectively). Conclusions: Maternal serum adiponectin, leptin, and the adiponectin-leptin ratio could serve as predictors for PE.