Angiotensin II levels in hypertensive and normotensive pregnancies

Abstract

Summary. We measured circulating angiotension II by radioimmunoassay in women with pregnancy‐induced hypertension (n = 54), and compared these values with those obtained in women with normal pregnancy (n = 18) and in non pregnant women (n = 20). Pregnant women had statistically significantly higher plasma angiotensin II [mean (SD): 41.3 (12.6) pg/ml] than non‐pregnant women [29.2 (11.3) pg/ml; P < 0.004]. Angiotensin II concentrations in women with pregnancy‐ induced hypertension [mean (SD): 31.7 (16.2) pg/ml] were, on average, 25% lower than in normal pregnancy (P < 0.003) and resembled those obtained in non‐pregnant women. The lowest angiotensin II levels were found in women with more severe forms of pregnancy‐induced hypertension, such as proteinuric or superimposed pregnancy‐induced hypertension. Review of the published studies on angiotensin II and our data suggest that the conflict among studies on angiotensin II levels in pregnancy‐induced hypertension is largely due to the heterogeneity of the study populations in the various reports.