Evaluation of serum biomarkers for detection of preeclampsia severity in pregnant women

To determine serum biomarkers in detection of preeclampsia severity among pregnant women. Methods: Among 450 pregnant women with various severity of preeclampsia, serum biomarkers of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hemoglobin (Hb), platelet count (PLT), uric acid, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, creatinine, and alkaline phosphatase were compared using area under the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Area Under the Curve (AUC). Results: The mean age of women was 30.63±6.43 years and with mean gestational age of 34.69±3.97 weeks. The mean level of LDH, ALT, uric acid, and creatinine were significantly higher in the women with severe type of preeclampsia compared to those with mild type. LDH level had ROC and AUC of more than 0.80, with highest sensitivity, and moderate specificity in comparison to other markers. Conclusion: Biomarkers such as ALT, uric acid, and LDH were shown to be prognostic in detection of the severity of preeclampsia. LDH was demonstrated to significantly be a better prognostic test in detection of preeclampsia severity. (author)