title: The use of urinary albumin-creatinine ratios and calcium-creatinine ratios as screening tests for pregnancy-induced hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the potential of both urinary albumin creatinine ratios and urinary calcium-creatinine ratios as screening tests for pregnancy-induced hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, non-interventional study was performed in a teaching hospital antenatal clinic. Five hundred normotensive, nulliparous pregnant women provided a urine sample at 19 weeks' gestation. The main outcome measurements were the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in urinary albumin/creatinine and calcium/creatinine were demonstrated between patients who developed pregnancy-induced hypertension and those who remained normotensive. Urinary creatinine concentrations were significantly higher at 19 weeks' gestation in patients who subsequently developed pregnancy-induced hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that neither urinary ratio is a potential screening test for pregnancy-induced hypertension. The increased urinary creatinine concentration in patients who subsequently developed pregnancy-induced hypertension has not previously been reported and merits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hackett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria; D002118:Calcium / Q000652:urine*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine; D002118:Calcium