NEW BIOMARKERS OF PREECLAMPSIA - CLINICAL IMPACT

Hypertension in pregnancy does not always lead to preeclampsia. Differentiating between these two conditions is challenging and requires enormous resources. A biomarker which could predict the clinical onset of the severe pathology of preeclampsia would be very useful. Several multicentric prospective studies have demonstrated that the cytokines involved in angiogenesis potentially may be used as biomarkers to predict preeclampsia, using precise automated immunoassays. The results of studies of these immunoassays indicate that they have a negative predictive value, making it possible to rule out development of preeclampsia for at least one week. A part of this review paper is also the consensus statement of international experts in the use of angiogenic markers focused on the status of the risk of preeclampsia, and their use in clinical practice.