Diagnostic Value of Urine Protein to Creatinine Ratio in Patients with Suspected Pre-eclampsia

Background and Objective: Pre-eclampsia is the most serious disease in high-risk pregnancies affecting women and their fetus which may be associated with severe maternal-fetal problems and even death. The symptoms of this disease are high blood pressure and proteinuria. Prompt diagnosis of the disease can be particularly important in preventing or minimizing the effects on the mother and the fetus. This study aimed to determine the relationship between 24- hour urine protein and urine protein to creatinine ratio (Up/Uc) in the urine of women with pre-eclampsia Materials and Methods: The urine samples were collected from 300 women with suspected pre-eclampsia admitted to Ayatollah Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan. To determine the amount of protein excreted in the urine, a random sample was prepared to determine the ratio of protein to creatinine excretion. The results and the demographic findings were recorded in the relevant questionnaire. The data were fed to SPSS software via which Pearson correlation and ROC curve were implemented. Results: The random urine protein to creatinine ratio and the 24 hour urine protein excretion showed a significant correlation (r=0.76, p<0.001). The highest sensitivity (0.38%) and specificity (1.64%) were obtained concerning protein to creatinine ratio to predict protein of more than 300 mg and 2,000 mg in 24 hours. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, the protein to creatinine ratio is a proper alternative for 24- hour urine protein test in diagnosing pre-eclampsia.