Study of serum cystatin c in pre-eclampsia

Background: Pre-eclampsia is a common complication of pregnancy constituting major cause of maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. It develops in 4% - 5% of pregnancies. Altered renal function is an essential component of the patho-physiology of pre-eclampsia, which could lead to acute renal failure. The kidneys play a significant role in the turnover of low molecular weight substances like Urea, Creatinine, Uric acid and Cystatin C. Aims and Objectives: To study serum cystatin C in pre-eclampsia and compare it with serusm Creatinine. To assess whether serum cystatin C is an early and better marker than Creatinine of renal dysfunction in pre-eclampsia. Materials and Methods: A Case - control study comparing 30 pre-eclampticprimigravida inthe third trimester with 30 normotensive primigravida of same gestational age from Vani Vilas Hospital, Bangalore. No history of Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus or Renal disease in cases and controls. Results: Serum Cystatin C was found to be increased in pre-eclamptic patients when compared to controls. Serum Creatinine was within reference range in both cases and controls. Conclusion: Serum Cystatin C is an early and better marker of renal dysfunction in pre-eclampsia compared to serum Creatinine.