Abstract:Objective To study the changes of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in brachial artery before and after delivery in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). Methods High-frequency ultrasonography was used to detect the right brachial artery endothelial function in 146 PIH patients before delivery (28-40 weeks of gestation) and 6 weeks after delivery, the control group was 100 healthy women. The internal diameter and blood flow of right brachial artery at rest (D1 and Q1) and after reactive hyperemia (D2 and Q2) were measured; and the change rate of internal diameter ( △ D%) and the change rate of blood flow ( △ Q%) were calculated. Results The brachial artery △ D% and △ Q% of the PIH patients were lower than those of the control group before delivery and 6 weeks after delivery (P < 0.05). In the PIH patients, there was no significant difference in brachial artery △ D% or △ Q% before delivery and 6 weeks after delivery (P > 0.05). Before delivery and 6 weeks after delivery, there was no significant difference in brachial artery △ D% or △ Q% between the PIH group and the mild preeclampsia group (P > 0.05). The △ D% and △ Q% of brachial artery in the PIH and the mild preeclampsia groups were lower than those in the severe preeclampsia group (P < 0.05). Conclusions In PIH patients there is endothelium-dependent vasodilatation damage before delivery, and there is no improvement or recovery at least 6 weeks after delivery. And the vascular endothelial dysfunction in severe preeclampsia patients before and after delivery are more severe than gestational hypertension and mild preeclampsia patients.