Comparative Evaluation of Some Liver Enzymes in Preeclamptic and Non-Preeclamptic Patients in the Enugu Metropolis South East Nigeria
Abstract:Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most common causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. It complicates 3-6% of all pregnancies globally and up to 15% of pregnancies in the Sub-Saharan Africa. The present study was designed to determine the level of liver enzymes in preeclamptic patients compared to control in the Enugu metropolis. A total of 70 subjects comprising 35 preeclamptic patients and 35 non-preeclamptic controls aged 18-40years were recruited for the study. Blood samples (10ml) were collected from subjects for estimation of liver enzymes involving the Alanine Transaminase (ALT), Aspartate Transaminase (AST) and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) levels using Randox Kit, UK.The data was analyzed using T-test and Pearson correlation. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. The result revealed significant increase in ALT (57.70+28.72 vs14.19+2.96Iu/L), AST (42.54+8.66 vs 10.5+3.801u/L) and ALP (380.12+15+62 vs 174.14+46.531u/L) between the preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic subjects. There was a significant positive association of the ALT (p=0.031 vs 0.700) and AST (p=0.02 vs 0.222) with the systolic blood pressure between the preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic subjects as well as the ALT(p=0.011 vs 0.106) and AST(p=0.003 vs 0.225) with the diastolic blood pressure between the preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic subjects. These findings provides scientific evidence for the management of the adverse outcomes of preeclampsia in our population.
Keywords:: Preeclampsia, Liver enzymes, Enugu Metropolis.