HEPARIN-COFACTOR-II - A NEW MARKER FOR PREECLAMPSIA

The plasma levels of heparin cofactor II were determined in pregnant w omen who were either normotensive, or had essential hypertension, gest ational hypertension or pre-eclampsia during the third trimester and 7 2 h after delivery. Heparin cofactor II levels in the pre-eclampsia gr oup were depressed. The clinical relevance of this finding is the pote ntial utility of heparin cofactor II plasma levels in the differential diagnostic between non-proteinuric hypertension and pre-eclampsia. (C ) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.