Tri-iodothyronine (T3), Thyroxine (T4), and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) in preeclampsia and normal pregnancy

Abstract

Background: In most developing countries like Bangladesh, the incidence of preeclampsia is much higher in comparison to the developed nations. More than 70% of the preeclamptic pregnant mothers have high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration than that of the normal pregnant mothers. Objective: To compare free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) status of preeclamptic as compared to normal pregnant mothers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional comparative study conducted at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. A total number of 134 pregnant women consisting of 66 preeclamptic (cases) and 68 normal pregnant women (control) were enrolled in the study on the basis of some inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data on back ground characteristics and biochemical parameters of the cases and control were collected by a preformed data collection sheet. Results: The mean ages of the cases and control group were 27.45±3.88 years (range 19-35 years) and 26.45±4.16 years (range 19-35 years) respectively. The mean free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) of the control group were 2.89±0.20 pg/ml and 1.39±0.09 ng/d respectively. These mean thyroid hormones were slightly higher in preeclamptic group but within the normal range and not statistically significant. The mean Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) in control group was 1.80±0.08 µIU/ml. It was 6.16±0.85 µIU/ml in preeclamptic group, significantly(p<0.001) higher than that of control group. Conclusion: A significantly higher serum TSH level was observed in preeclamptic as compared to normal pregnant mothers. But there was no significant difference in serum FT, and FT, between them and were within normal limits. This study findings suggested that subclinical hypothyroidism may be associated with preeclampsia and may reflect the severity of preeclampsia.