 News
9th January 2007
Test that could detect pre-eclampsia
Scientists say that a simple new test could detect early signs of pre-eclampsia
and save hundreds of babies every year.
The researchers from the University College Hospital in
London say they have discovered the presence of a protein which they believe
is the possible toxin that causes pre-eclampsia.
The scientists tested the urine of 27 women who developed
preeclampsia and 47 who did not and noted that the protein, inositol phosphoglygan
P-type, was markedly increased in the women who went on to develop pre-eclampsia.
They also discovered the protein could be detected several
weeks earlier than any current method used for detecting pre-eclampsia,
which is responsible for the death of up to 600 babies and 5 mothers every
year, leading to hopes for a simple urine test in earlier pregnancy.
Professor Thomas W Rademacher from UCL said, "Being
able to predict the onset of this disease has been the single greatest
challenge in obstetric medicine.
"Pre-eclampsia is the most common of the serious complications
that can occur during pregnancy."
Saying the presence of the protein appears to be a reliable
indicator of whether a woman will develop the condition, Prof Rademacher
added, "This means that by way of a simple urine test during pregnancy,
we can identify which women are most at risk of developing the condition.
"Clinicians could therefore adapt the care of those
most at risk accordingly.
"Now a reliable diagnostic test has been developed,
this paves the way for identifying new treatments for the condition."
Pre-eclampsia is currently detected when a pregnant woman
has raised blood pressure or protein in her urine but these tests do not
detect all cases.
Mike Rich, chief executive of the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia,
said, "In this case they say it seems to give a reliable indicator
that the condition is developing which would be a good thing for improving
our understanding of pre-eclampsia."
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