Coenzyme Q₁₀ levels in women with preeclampsia living at different altitudes

Background: Preeclampsia is a common disorder of pregnancy exhibiting abnormal plasma and placental coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) levels when compared to normal pregnancies. Objective: To evaluate CoQ₁₀ levels both in plasma and placenta among normal pregnant (n = 60) and preeclamptic (n = 63) primigravid women and determine the effect of high or low altitude residency. Study design: CoQ₁₀ was determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technique and group comparisons were performed. Results: Preeclamptic women living at high altitude displayed significantly lower CoQ₁₀ plasma levels (0.64 ± 0.23 vs. 0.82 ± 0.46 μmol/L, p = 0.05). No differences were found in CoQ ₁₀ plasma levels among women living at sea level. Interestingly, plasma CoQ₁₀ levels at low altitude in normal pregnancies were significantly lower than high altitude normal pregnancies. Compared to normal pregnancies, preeclamptic women displayed higher placental CoQ₁₀ content, which was only significant among those living at sea level (0.120 ± 0.07 vs. 0.076 ± 0.04 ng/mg protein, p < 0.005). Normal pregnant women living at high altitude displayed higher placental CoQ ₁₀ content when compared to those residing at sea level (p < 0.0005). Conclusion: Women suffering from preeclampsia (high or low altitude) display high placental CoQ₁₀ content, with significant low plasma CoQ₁₀ levels among those residing in high altitude. More research is warranted to establish the cause-effect relationship between CoQ₁₀ levels and preeclampsia.