Relation between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in twin pregnancies

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between plasma adenosine and serum uric acid levels in women with singleton and twin pregnancies. METHODS: We sampled maternal arterial blood and measured serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in 22 singleton pregnancies and nine twin pregnancies at 33 to 38 weeks' gestation. RESULTS: The average plasma adenosine levels were 0.31 +/- 0.12 micromol/L in the singleton pregnancy group and 0.45 +/- 0.09 micromol/L in the twin pregnancy group (P <.001). The mean serum uric acid level in women with twin pregnancy was 5.7 +/- 0.44 mg/dL which was higher than that in the singleton pregnant women (4.4 +/- 0.69 mg/dL, P <.001). Positive correlations were found between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels in both the singleton (r(2) = 0.54, P <.001) and the twin pregnancy groups (r(2) = 0.65, P =.009). Moreover, there was also a significant correlation between serum uric acid and plasma adenosine levels overall (r(2) = 0.66, P <.001). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that higher adenosine levels are a contributing source of hyperuricemia in twin pregnancies.