Serum uric acid level as predicting sign of preeclampsia

ABSTRACT

Serum uric acid levels were measured in 19 pregnant Myanmar women clinically diagnosed as preeclampsia, before any treatment was given. The subjects were in the perid of 36 + or - 2 weeks gestation and their ages ranged from 20 to 40 years. Out of 90 cases, 12 had mild preeclampsia and 7 had severe preeclampsia. All cases became normotensive and proteinuria ceased after puerperium. The serum uric acid level of severe preeclampsia varied widely from 4.9 to 11.9 mg/dl while that of mild preeclampsia ranged from 3.4 to 7.9 mg/dl. The mean serum uric acid level of severe preeclampsia (9.3 + or - 2.36 mg/dl) was significantly higher than that of apparently healthy pregnant women of the same age and gestational period. The mean value of mild preeclampsia (5.5 + or - 1.38 mg/dl) was not significantly different from the normal. Therefore, a single uric acid level of a pregnant women is of little use as a predicting sign of preeclampsia.