title: Assessment of fibrin(ogen) degradation products in preeclampsia using immunoblot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and latex-based agglutination.
abstract: Plasma and serum from pregnant women with preeclampsia (N = 35) and normotensive pregnant (N = 71) and nonpregnant (N = 10) controls were screened for fibrin(ogen) degradation products (fibrinogen and cross-linked fibrin degradation products, and fibrin polymers) using three different assay systems (immunoblot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], and latex-bead agglutination assay). All tests showed statistically significant differences (P less than .05) between the preeclamptic patients and the other two groups (pregnant and nonpregnant women). The ELISA assay for total fibrin(ogen) degradation products was the most sensitive test, but was less specific than D-dimer latex. Eleven of the 35 preeclamptic women developed HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme, and low platelet counts). Positive tests were as common in the 11 preeclamptic women who developed the syndrome as in the 24 who did not. These results suggest that fibrinolytic disorders are secondary pathophysiologic events in the course of preeclampsia, but further studies with a larger number of patients are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Repke
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D010976:Platelet Count; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products