UC San Diego

Oxidised low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) has been associated with arterial foam-cell formation, and autoantibodies to Ox-LDL are present in human serum. Lipid peroxidation is enhanced in pre-eclampsia. We assessed whether the titre of IgG autoantibody to an epitope of Ox-LDL, malondialdehyde-conjugated low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL), was increased in the sera of pre-eclamptic patients. 16 such patients had significantly higher mean titres of autoantibodies to MDA-LDL than healthy pregnant women (p = 0.028). In a multiple regression model, pre-eclamptic patients still had a significantly higher mean titre (p = 0.048). Enhanced lipid peroxidation may be involved in the foam-cell formation of decidua and in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.