Cystatin-c, Beta-2-Microglobulin, and Other Determinants of Renal Function in Preeclampsia

Context: Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy which is avoidable with timely and effective care. Aim: The aim of this study was to monitor the renal status using biochemical indices such as serum cystatin-c, beta-2-microglobulin (B2MG), and other renal function. Setting and Design: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and sixty respondents (124 preeclamptics [PE] and 36 normotensive pregnant women [NPW]) participated in this study. Fresh mid-stream urine and venous blood samples were collected for the estimation of urine albumin and creatinine, plasma creatinine and urea, serum cystatin-c, and B2MG. Statistical Analysis Used: The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 with the level of significance set at P < 0.05 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Amongst the PE, 39 (31.5%) were mild cases while 85 (68.5%) were severe. Serum cystatin-c, B2MG, plasma creatinine and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) were higher in the PE than in the NPW while plasma urea was significantly ( P < 0.05) higher in NPW than in PE. Cystatin-c was significantly ( P < 0.05) higher in PE than in NPW in the 3 rd trimester while B2MG was significantly ( P < 0.05) higher in PE than in NPW in the 2 nd and 3 rd trimesters. Urine ACR and serum B2MG were significantly ( P < 0.05) higher in severe than in mild PE. There was a significant ( P < 0.05) positive correlation between serum cystatin-c and urine ACR and between B2MG and plasma creatinine. Serum cystatin-c was increased throughout the period of gestation with higher values in the 3 rd trimester while serum B2MG was higher in the 2 nd trimester. Conclusion: In comparison to other biological indices of renal function, serum B2MG and serum cystatin-c could be more useful in the early detection and severity of preeclampsia.