Background:kisspeptin(kiss1) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide, expressed also peripherally in the placental trophoblast, pancreatic cells, liver and adipose tissue suggesting its role in regulating metabolic homeostasis as well as normal fetal implantation and placentation.There are contradictory reports about kiss1 levels during preeclampsia in either lean or obese pregnant women.

Aim:This study was designed to evaluate serum and placental kiss1 levels in normotensive non-pregnant, pregnant and preeclamptic females and to detect any potential association of those levels with some homeostatic parameters occurring in these conditions with and without obesity.

Design: This study was conducted on 54 female subjects at the reproductive period. They were divided according to BMI into two equal groups: Group I (lean group with BMI(18.50-24.99)kg/m2),and Group II (obese group with BMI(30-34.99)kg/m)2,each group was subdivided into: normotensive non-pregnant, normotensive pregnant and preeclamptic group.
Moderate degree of preeclampsia was confirmed by presence of proteinuria and hypertension. Placental kiss1 and serum kiss1,insulin,glucose,lipid profile,TNF-α,urea,creatinine and sex hormones levels were measured.BMI&HOMA-IR were calculated in all groups.


Results:Serum&placental kiss1 levels were significantly higher in normotensive pregnant while these levels were significantly lower in preeclamptic than normotensive pregnant groups and this decrease was more pronounced in obese than lean subjects. Kiss1 correlated negatively&significantly with blood pressure, BMI,glucose,insulin,HOMA-IR,TC,TG,LDL,TNF-α and positively&significantly with HDL-C,sex hormones.

Conclusion: The decrease in kiss1 levels may play a role in pathogenesis of PE, and may represent a novel link between metabolic disturbance and PE in obese pregnant females since this peptide was correlated with BMI,HOMA-IR,dyslipidemia and TNF-α.

Key word: kiss1, preeclampsia, obesity