Second-trimester serum fluorescence polarization in patients who subsequently develop pregnancy-induced hypertension

To determine whether the midtrimester serum lipid profile, as expressed by fluorescence polarization (FP) values is decreased in patients who subsequently develop pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). Stored serum samples of normotensive patients who had undergone midtrimester biochemical screening for Down's syndrome were used in this case-control study Forty patients who subsequently developed PIH comprised the study group and were divided into subgroups with proteinuric PIH (P-PIH, n = 18) and those with nonproteinuric PIH (NP-PIH, n = 22. Sixty randomly selected patients who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy comprised the control. Serum total cholesterol (CL) and triglycerides (TG) were determined using enzymatic calorimetric kits. FP value were determined by optical microscosimeter. Both study subgroups had significant lower FP values and higher TG concentration than the control group. Total CL concentration were slightly higher in the P- PIH subgroup. There were no differences in mean. Total CL or TG concentrations or mean FP values were found between those patients who developed mild and severe PIH. Using FP value cutoff points of 0.250, 0.245 and 0.240 sensitivity was 95%, 90%, and 78%, respectively in detecting patients who subsequently developed PIH. Midtrimester serum FP values may have some predictive value for the development of P and NP-PIH.