In future, physicians may be able to use a steroid molecule, 2-ME, as a diagnostic marker and supplementary treatment of pre-eclampsia, a new study suggests.

Research led by a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) discovered that this metabolite suppresses the activity of the factor protein which induces hypoxia in pregnant women.

For unknown reasons, patients with pre-eclampsia remain hypoxic into their final trimester of pregnancy.

The researchers also found that the COMT gene, commonly associated with schizophrenia, contributes to the breakdown of estrogen into 2-ME.

Senior author Dr Raghu Kalluri, chief of the division of Matrix Biology at BIDMC and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said: "We wondered if, in cases of pre-eclampsia, COMT was not functioning properly. In support of this hypothesis, we found that COMT levels were deficient and 2-ME levels were lower in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia."

According to the report, the dangerous pregnancy disorder affects approximately five per cent of all pregnancies worldwide.

Commenting on the motivation and contemporary relevance of the study, Dr Raghu added: "Seeing pregnant women with this disease in the clinic inspired me to dedicate our efforts to find likely causative genes that play a role in pre-eclampsia."

Click here to learn more about Hypertension

• Hypertension at medical offices may not predict heart risks, says study 25/11/08
• Hypertension develops early in black men, study suggests 17/11/08
• Hypertension "a looming problem in Europe", study shows 12/11/08
• Study links hypertension in pregnancy to reduced testicular cancer risk 30/10/08
• Audio relaxation could help elderly people with hypertension, study suggests 18/09/08

• REVATIO 20 mg film-coated tablets - 49.42%
  Treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension classified as WHO functional class III, to improve exercise capacity. Efficacy has been shown in primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disease ...
  
  
• THELIN Film-coated Tablets - 49.42%
  Treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension classified as WHO functional class III, to improve exercise capacity. Efficacy has been shown in primary pulmonary hypertension and in pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disease ...
  
  
• ACCUPRO Tablets - 48.68%
  Hypertension - For the treatment of all grades of essential hypertension. Accupro is effective as monotherapy or concomitantly with diuretics in patients with hypertension. Congestive Heart Failure - For the treatment of congestive heart failure when given concomitantly with a diuretic and/or ...
  
  
• APRESOLINE (hypertension) - 48.56%
  Apresoline Injection: Hypertensive emergencies Hypertensive emergencies especially those associated with pre-eclampsia and toxaemia of pregnancy, hypertension with renal complications. Apresoline: Adjunct to other antihypertensives in moderate to severe hypertension ...
  
  
• CARDURA Tablets - 48.07%
  Hypertension:Cardura is indicated for the treatment of hypertension and can be used as the sole agent to control blood pressure in the majority of patients. In patients inadequately controlled on single antihypertensive therapy, Cardura may be used in combination with a thiazide diuretic, beta ...
  
  
• BETOPTIC - 47.95%
  Betoptic and Betoptic Drops: Ocular hypertension, chronic open-angle glaucoma. Betopic Suspension Single Dose: Ocular hypertension, chronic open-angle glaucoma in patients who are hypersensitive to preservatives ...