Plasma β-Endorphin Levels in Pregnancy Induced Hypertension Patients

We measured the plasma β-endorphin (β-EP) levels in 11 normal pregnant women at term, 5 severe pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) patients at term, 11 normal and 5 severe PIH mothers at labor, 11 fetuses who were delivered from normal mothers and 5 fetuses who were delivered from severe PIH mothers. There was a significant(p<0.05) difference in the maternal plasma β-EP at labor between the group without PIH (n=11, 186.9 ± 21.9 pg/ml, mean ± S.E.) and PIH patients (n=5, 108.5 ± 16.4 pg/ml). These data suggests that β-endorphin have a depressor role of a eodogenous cardiovascular regulatory factor in PIH patients during labor.