title: Estimation of plasma uric acid in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). Is the test still relevant?
abstract: Plasma uric acid and creatinine were estimated at each visit of 59 consenting women attending ante-natal clinic. Results in the third trimester of pregnancy confirmed that the plasma uric acid was able to differentiate between normal pregnancy and those with PIH at P < 0.002. The results of those with ordinary hypertension and the women who developed pre-eclampsia were similar. Plasma creatinine was found to be able to differentiate between women with ordinary hypertension (97.45 +/- 25.03 umol/L) and those with pre-eclampsia (288.75 +/- 191.97 umol/L) at P < 0.01. For patients with pre-eclampsia who developed convulsions, there invariably was a further rise in the plasma uric acid levels. Monitoring of plasma creatinine level among patients with PH will help to predict those at risk of developing pre-eclampsia. In the same way, monitoring of plasma uric acid level in those with pre-eclampsia will help to predict those that will develop eclampsia. The tests are inexpensive but sensitive, which is in contrast to many more expensive electronic alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Wakwe
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Abudu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid