Assessment of the coagulation activation in normal pregnancy and severe pre-eclampsia using D-dimer levels.

D-dimer was measured in 20 normal non-pregnant women, 20 normal pregnant women and 20 severe pre-eclampsia patients. D-dimer was found to be 182 + 63 ng/ml (mean+ SD) in non-pregnant women, significantly higher at 1,355+ 279 ng/ml in normal pregnant women and 1,928+ 625 ng/ml in severe pre-eclampsia. No abnormalities were detected in a screening coagulogram. It is concluded that D-dimer may-be more useful than a screening coagulogram. For the early detection of the activation of the coagulation system that occurs in normal pregnancy and becomes elevated in severe pre-eclampsia.