Serum levels of neopterin and interleukin-2 receptor in women with severe preeclampsia

Preeclampsia continues to be a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia is not fully understood. Neopterin and interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) production reflects cellular immunity. Our purpose was to determine the levels of neopterin and interleukin‐2 receptor (IL‐2R) in pregnant women with severe preeclampsia, and assess the implications of these findings in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Fourteen women with preeclampsia were compared with 14 healthy pregnant women. Serum levels of neopterin were measured by an enzyme‐linked immunoassay (ELISA), and IL‐2R levels were determined by an immunoassay method with an Immulite analyzer. The levels of neopterin and IL‐2R were significantly higher in the preeclamptic subjects than in normotensive women (P