Calciuria and preeclampsia: a case-control study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare calciuria of preeclamptic cases to normotensive controls among pregnant women hospitalized in the French West Indies obstetrics department.

Study design: This case-control study included 47 preeclamptic women and 50 controls. The main outcome was 24h urinary calcium excretion rate. Serum levels of creatinine, calcium and uric acid were also analyzed. A logistic regression analysis has been performed to investigate the relationship between hypocalciuria and preeclampsia after having taken into account prognostic preeclampsia factors and pertinent clinical criteria.

Results: Women with preeclampsia had significantly lower calciuria than normotensive patients (1.5 mmol/24h+/-1.0 versus 6.0 mmol/24h+/-4.2, p=0.0001). After taking into account gestational age at hospitalization, body mass index and nulliparity, hypocalciuria was significantly associated with preeclampsia (ORa=21.74; 95% CI, 6.9-66.7). The diagnosis value of a calciuria less than 2.1 mmol/24h is interesting because of its negative predictive value (97%), but its positive predictive value is weak (42%).

Conclusion: In our population, preeclamptic women had a calciuria significantly lower than controls.