title: Urinary podocalyxin as a marker of preeclampsia in a Hispanic population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preeclampsia is associated with significant materno-fetal morbidity and mortality. Podocyturia due to podocyte damage seems to be associated with the disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of urinary podocalyxin as a marker of preeclampsia in a Hispanic population.
  
  
  METHODS
  63 patients were studied. 25 patients had preeclampsia/eclampsia (PE-E). 38 patients had normal pregnancies and served as control group. 24 hour proteinuria, urine protein/creatinine (UPC), urinary podocalyxin and perinatal outcomes were measured. A Podocalyxin ELISA test was used to detect podocyturia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age (years), mean±SD was 30.5±5.4 in normal patients vs 30.6±5.8 in PE-E, p=0.98. Median gestational age (weeks) was, 38 (range 21-42) for normal pregnancies and 36 (range 24-40) for patients with PE-E, <0.001. Urine podocalyxin/creatinine on admission (ng/mg), median [IQR] in normal patients was 55.9 [29.4, 74.9] vs 109.7 [63.8, 234.1] in PE-E, p=0.001. After adjusting for admission proteinuria, urinary podocalyxin remained independently associated with preeclampsia: OR=1.0040 (95% CI 1.0003-1.0078), p=0.03. There was low to moderate correlation between UPC and urinary podocalyxin, Spearman's =0.31, p=0.01. In PE-E, post-partum urine podocalyxin was lower, median [IQR]: 69.7 [32.7, 184.8] p=0.19 vs admission. There was a trend towards more podocyturia and proteinuria in patients with eclampsia, comparing to those with preeclampsia. There was no association observed between podocyturia and neonatal mortality, IUGR or Apgar scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significantly higher levels of urinary podocalyxin are seen in preeclampsia/eclampsia. They tend to normalize after delivery.
authors: Catholic University of Asuncion School of Medicine Asuncion, Paraguay ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Instituto de Prevision Social (IPS) Hospital Asuncion, Paraguay.
authors: Ylbe
authors: Y
authors: Palacios de Franco
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Instituto de Prevision Social (IPS) Hospital Asuncion, Paraguay.
authors: Karina
authors: K
authors: Velazquez
authors: Department of Clinical Immunology, Instituto de Prevision Social (IPS) Hospital Asuncion, Paraguay.
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: Segovia
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Instituto de Prevision Social (IPS) Hospital Asuncion, Paraguay.
authors: Carolina
authors: C
authors: Acosta
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Instituto de Prevision Social (IPS) Hospital Asuncion, Paraguay.
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Yanosky
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Complete Care Health Network, South Jersey General Hospital Vineland, NJ. USA.
authors: Ylbe V
authors: YV
authors: Franco Palacios
authors: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, MD. USA.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Ramos
authors: Department of Nephrology, Affiliated Community Medical Centers, Rice Memorial Hospital Willmar, MN. USA.
authors: Carlos R
authors: CR
authors: Franco Palacios
keywords: Podocalyxin; biomarkers; hypertension; preeclampsia; proteinuria