Nucleated Red Blood Cell Count in Maternal Peripheral Blood and Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnant Women.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the correlations of nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) counts with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and fetal umbilical blood flow velocity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 282 patients with HDP as experimental group including 107 with mild pre-eclampsia (A1 group), 100 with severe pre-eclampsia (A2 group) and 75 with eclampsia (A3 group), and 215 normal pregnant women as control group. Maternal peripheral venous blood was collected and isolated cells were stained with Wright-Giemsa. We estimated NRBC counts according to laboratory routine and Doppler ultrasound examinations were employed to measure the systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratios of fetal ductus venosus, umbilical artery and middle cerebral artery.

RESULTS: The NRBC counts in A1, A2 and A3 groups were higher than control group (all P < 0.01). The S/D ratios in control, A1, A2 and A3 groups increased orderly (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the sensitivity and specificity of NRBC count and S/D ratios in diagnosing HDP were 96.50% and 96.28%; 93.60% and 98.14%; 94.30% and 94.88% 99.30% and 100%, respectively. Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the NRBC and S/D ratios were correlated with gestational age at birth, amniotic fluid volume, premature birth, mechanical ventilation, neonatal intensive care unit admission, neonatal asphyxia, birth weight, fetal distress, APGAR score, pH value, arterial oxygenation tension, bicarbonate and base excess (all P < 0.05). The NRBC count was positively associated with the S/D ratios (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence that NRBC count in patients with HDP increased significantly, showing positive correlations with umbilical S/D ratios.