197-POS

Abstract

Lipids and steroid hormones are closely and interactively linked. While cholesterol is substrate for (placental) steroid hormone synthesis, steroid hormones regulate hepatic lipid production. We therefore aimed to estimate the interaction between lipid metabolism and steroid hormones in normal and diseased pregnancy with emphasis on those with hepatic and/or placental pathologies. A total of 223 serum samples were analyzed. In group A 33 patients with uncomplicated pregnancies were analyzed at three different time points (first through third trimester) and postpartum. Group B consisted of 45 patients (24–42 weeks of gestation) with pregnancy pathologies (IUGR n = 14, preeclampsia n = 14, HELLP n = 10, intrahepatic cholestasis n = 7) and 45 gestational age matched controls. Steroid profile including estradiol, progesterone, cortisone, and dehydroepiandrosterone was measured by GC–MS and related to cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. Statistics: Spearman’s rank coefficient and Kruskal–Wallis test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons. Group A: Positive correlations were found for triglycerides and cholesterol with correlation coefficients for estradiol, progesterone, and cortisone ranging from ρ = 0.50 to ρ = 0.57. Negative correlations were found for trigylcerides and cholesterol with dehydroepiandrosterone (ρ = −0.38 and ρ = −0.48). Group B: As compared to controls cholesterol levels were lower in IUGR (p < 0.05) whereas triglyceride levels were higher in preeclampsia (p < 0.05). The steroid hormone concentrations of estradiol (p < 0.01), progesterone (p < 0.01), and cortisone (p < 0.01) all were found to be lower in IUGR. No other significant differences have been observed. We found lipid and steroid levels to be affected in pregnancy pathologies with placental insufficiency but not in pregnancy-associated hepatic diseases. Our data suggests that placental rather than hepatic function strongly determines lipid and steroid concentrations in pregnancy. U. Pecks: None. N. Kleine-Eggebrecht: None. B. Winkler: None. M. Mohaupt: None. G. Escher: None. W. Rath: None.