Human neutrophil elastase may be a major mediator of vascular damage and could contrihutc to the vascular damage seen in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PTH). Elevated plasma levels of this substance will reflect neutrophil activation in vivo. To determine neutrophil activation in PIH, we studied 30 normal nonpregnant women, 32 women with normal pregnancies, 19 with mild/ moderate PIH and 16 with severe PIH between 28 and 39 weeks gestation. Plasma neutrophil elastase was measured by radioimniunoassay. 'There was a significantly higher concentration of plasma neutrophil elastase in both mild/moderate and severe PIH than in iiormotensive pregnancies and this may contribute to thc vascular lesion associated with DIH. Concentrations were also significantly higher in normal pregnancy than in non-pregnant women which suggests that neutrophil activation and degranulation are increased in normal pregnancy.Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PUT) remains a leading cause of maternal inortality in the UK (DHSS 1986) and is a major source of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Its precise aetiology remains obscure, but it is charactcrizcd by increased vascular reactivity (Gant r / al. 1973), platelet activation, coagulation changes (Howie 1977) and vascular damage (Robertson & Khong 1986). This last fcature has been termed
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