title: Predictive markers of pre-eclampsia in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this work is to assess the most widespread methods currently proposed and two new markers for predicting the development of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women with hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 212 pregnant Caucasian women: 104 normotensive, 68 pregnancy-induced hypertensive and 40 chronic hypertensive. Blood and urine were sampled between 28 and 30 weeks gestation. All 108 hypertensive pregnant women, at the time of sampling, demonstrated proteinuria below 0.3 g/24 h. The following laboratory tests were performed: fibronectin, antithrombin-III, alpha-1-microglobulin, U-N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, uric acid and albumin excretion rate. Student's t-test, discriminant analysis and chi2 (chi-square) test were used as statistical methods. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After discriminating analysis, only three of the six variables analyzed were able to discriminate patients who would develop pre-eclampsia from the remaining hypertensive pregnant women: microalbuminuria, uric acid and fibronectin (chi2 = 29.122, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In agreement with previous studies, albumin excretion rate appeared to be the best predictive test for pre-eclampsia in hypertensive pregnant women, giving a higher positive predictive value and specificity (87.5 and 98.9%, respectively).
authors.affiliation: Obstetric and Gynecology Department, Via Giustiniani, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Paternoster
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mussap
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plebani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gambaro
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Grella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers