OBJECTIVES: to compare the levels of cortisol (cortisolemia refers to the level of cortisol in blood) in women with a high-risk pregnancy compared with those with a low-risk pregnancy, by way of evaluation of levels of cortisol in saliva, using the electrochemical luminescence technique (ECL). METHODS: 38 women aged between 17 and 40 years in the third trimester of pregnancy were divided in two groups: 20 low-risk pregnancies and 18 high-risk ones. Cortisol in saliva was collected at midnight and measured using ECL. The mean levels of cortisol in saliva in the two groups were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: the mean systolic and diastolic pressure was normal in both groups. The levels of cortisol in the saliva of women with high-risk pregnancies was significantly higher than those for the low-risk pregnancy group (20.2 (±21,1) nmol/L vs 11.4(±16.2) nmol/L; p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: a high risk pregnancy involves higher levels of cortisol than a low-risk one. The levels of cortisol in saliva, as measured using ECL, can be used to identify hypercortisolism in pregnancy.
Cortisol; Pregnancy; Pregnancy; high-risk
