Are the Circulating Levels of Copeptin and Fibronectin Dysregulated in Preeclamptic South African Black Women?

Objectives: To establish the circulating levels of copeptin and fibronectin in normal and preeclamptic Black South African pregnant females. Materials and Methods: Serum copeptin and fibronectin levels were measured in preeclamptic and normotensive women via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Data are presented as medians and interquartile ranges. Spearman’s chi-square test was used to evaluate bivariate associations between analytes and clinical variables. Results: Fibronectin levels were downregulated in preeclampsia (PE) compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Copeptin levels displayed an upward trend in PE compared to the normotensive group. Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) was significantly different between preeclamptic and normotensive women (P < 0.005). In the preeclamptic group, gestational age was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = -0.8, P < 0.05). In addition, diastolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with maternal weight (r=-0.58, P < 0.05) and gestational age (r = -0.76, P < 0.05) in the preeclamptic group. Eventually, a positive correlation was noted between diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.65, P < 0.05) in PE. Conclusions: This was the first South African study to measure copeptin and fibronectin in pregnant women. The findings demonstrated a dysregulation in copeptin and fibronectin serum levels between the normotensive pregnant and preeclamptic groups, suggesting a potential diagnostic indicator of PE development.