Uric acid levels in gestational hypertensive women predict preeclampsia and outcome of small-for-gestational-age infants

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to ascertain whether serum uric acid is a suitable predictor of preeclampsia and/or the delivery of small-for-gestational-age infants for women with gestational hypertension. METHODS: 364 singleton pregnant women with initial presentation of gestational hypertension were recruited and followed up until 6 weeks after delivery. Uric acid z score and binary logistic regression analysis were applied to establish the relationship between serum uric acid and the chance of progression to preeclampsia and giving birth to a small-for-gestational-age infant. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the prediction value of serum uric acid. RESULTS: Uric acid z score and binary logistic regression analysis indicated that elevated serum uric acid increased the chances of gestational hypertension progression to preeclampsia and subsequent delivery of small-for-gestational-age infants. ROC analysis showed that serum uric acid at a cutoff value of 303μmol l-1, moderately predict the development of preeclampsia and the delivery of small-for-gestational age infants. The prediction values of preeclampsia were 90.7% sensitivity, 69.4% specificity, 97.7% negative predictor values and 34.0% positive predictor values, comparatively, the prediction value for small-for-gestational age infant was low. The ROC curve improved with 95.8% sensitivity, 86.7% specificity, 98.1% NPV, and 74.2% PPV in the Chinese Han women with early onset of gestational hypertension thus the diagnosis of gestational hypertension before 34 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum uric acid in Chinese Han women with gestational hypertension indicated an increased risk of their progression to preeclampsia and the further delivering of small-for-gestational-age infants.