Serum Beta‐Trace Protein as a Novel Predictor of Pregnancy‐Induced Hypertension

Beta‐trace protein ( BTP ) has emerged as a novel biomarker of cardiovascular risk. However, the level of circulating BTP in pregnancy‐induced hypertension ( PIH ) is still unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of serum BTP in healthy pregnant women and patients with PIH . No significant difference was found in the serum concentration of BTP in patients with a normal pregnancy. In contrast, serum BTP levels in women with PIH (n=46) were significantly higher than those in women with normal pregnancy (n=57). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that using a serum BTP value of 321.3 ng/ mL as a cutoff produced a sensitivity of 91.3% and a specificity of 89.5%. Taken together, these findings suggest that a higher serum BTP concentration in PIH patients compared with those with normal pregnancy and serum BTP might be a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of PIH .