Abstract: Background: Pre-eclampsia represents a serious pregnancy complication with potentially adverse outcomes for both maternal and fetal health. This condition involves dysfunction across multiple organ systems in pregnant women. Research has demonstrated that elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serves as a valuable indicator of disease severity and tissue damage in pre-eclamptic pregnancies. This investigation was designed to evaluate serum LDH concentrations in women with pre-eclampsia compared to normotensive pregnant women, establishing its utility as a biochemical marker in clinical practice.
Methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted over 18 months at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lalla Ded Hospital, Government Medical College, Srinagar. Two hundred pregnant women were enrolled: one hundred with confirmed pre-eclampsia (study group) and one hundred with uncomplicated normotensive pregnancies (control group). All participants underwent comprehensive clinical evaluation including physical examination, routine laboratory investigations, urinalysis, abdominal ultrasonography, and electrocardiographic assessment after obtaining informed consent.
Results: The study groups were comparable in terms of mean age (26.2±2.8 years versus 26.0±2.9 years, p=0.619) and gestational age (32.5±2.0 weeks versus 32.7±2.0 weeks, p=0.315). Pre-eclamptic women demonstrated significantly elevated blood pressure measurements, elevated serum LDH concentrations (395.4±146.3 IU/L versus 307.2±68.2 IU/L,
p<0.001), and higher prevalence of abnormal liver and kidney function parameters. LDH levels were further elevated in severe pre-eclampsia and in patients presenting with warning symptoms.
Conclusion: Elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase levels correlate with disease severity and the presence of maternal complications in pre-eclampsia. This biochemical marker can serve as a reliable diagnostic and prognostic tool in clinical management. Early detection of elevated LDH in high-risk pregnant women may facilitate timely intervention and reduce maternal and fetal adverse outcomes.
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