ALTERED ERYTHROCYTE CHARGE IN AFRICAN WOMEN WITH EARLY-ONSET PREECLAMPSIA

Objectives: To compare Alcian-Blue (AB) binding of erythrocytes in Afr ican women with preeclampsia and normotensive controls matched for age , race, and gestational age, and to correlate it with serum creatinine , serum albumin, and 24-h urinary protein excretion. Design: Prospecti ve descriptive study. Setting: Obstetric wards, King Edward VIII Hospi tal (KEH), Durban, South Africa. Tertiary referral center serving an u nderprivileged community. Subjects: Eleven patients with early onset p reeclampsia-i.e., between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation-and 11 pregnanc y-matched controls. Main Outcome Measures: Alteration in AB binding in preeclampsia compared to matched controls. Results: AB binding was si gnificantly decreased in the preeclamptic group [31.05 ng/10(6) cells compared to controls 65.12 ng/10(6) cells (P < 0.0003)]. There was str ong correlation (r > 0.7) between AB binding and serum creatinine but not with serum albumin and level of proteinuria. Conclusion: As altere d erythrocyte charge may infer alterations in glomerular basement memb rane (GBM) charge, the pathogenesis of proteinuria in preeclampsia is probably on the basis of a disorder of glomerular permeability