Nitric oxide and atrial natriuretic peptide in the prediction of pregnancy complications - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

PURPOSE: to verify the effectiveness of the maternal blood serum assays of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and nitric oxide (NO) to predict pregnancy complications. METHODS: the sample was made of 49 primigravidae women. They were included in the study at the 18th week of gestation, when blood sample was collected in order to analyze the serum assays. ANP was assayed by radioimmunoassay, using Euro-dianostica kits (2000), considering abnormal values over 237.4 pg/ml (95 percentil). NO level was evaluated by the chemiluminescence method, considering abnormal values over 17.8 mmol/l (percentil 95). For the statistical analysis of continuous quantitative variables with normal distribution, the unpaired t test was used; Mann-Whitney’s test was used for non parametrical quantitative samples; Fisher’s exact test, for the qualitative parameter assessment; and Pearson’s test for the assessment of correlations. RESULTS: there was no significant difference in the blood serum concentration of ANP between the group that presented complications during pregnancy and/or peridelivery (139.3±77.1 pg/ml) and the control group (119.6±47.0 pg/ml), nor in the serum concentration of NO, either, among the ones with complications in the pregnancy and/or in the peridelivery (11.1±4,6 mmol/l) and the control group (10.0±3.4 mmol/l). CONCLUSIONS: the results show that ANP and NO serum levels are not good predictors of pregnancy complications.