Increased Plasma Epinephrine Correlates with Blood Pressure in Preeclampsia

Abstract

In twenty-one preeclamptic women, venous plasma epine-phrine averaged 45±5 (mean ± SE) as against 27,±2 pg/ml (P < 0.01) in fifteen normotensive pregnant women. Plasma-free dopamine was more than doubled in the preeclamptic at 137 ± 25 as compared to 55±6 pg/ml (P < 0.01), whereas plasma norepinephrine was almost unchanged. At the same time, the renin-aldosterone axis was clearly depressed in the preeclamptic as shown by lower plasma renin activity (P < 0.001) and aldosterone concentration (P < 0.021, and increased serum potassium (P <. 0.02). However, in spite of clear responses from any of these parameters, the only one in direct association with blood pressure was plasma epine-phrine (r = 0.80, P < 0.001).