ABSTRACT
Objective: This study aimed to investigate maternal and fetal outcomes in patients with isolated gestational proteinuria (IGP) and to identify antenatal risk factors associated with the development of preeclampsia (PE). Material and Methods: This prospective casecontrol study was conducted at a tertiary center between April 2018 and January 2020. In this research, total protein levels were measured in 24-hour urine samples from second-trimester normotensive patients who exhibited proteinuria of ≥+1 on a dipstick test. Three groups were defined at the outset: Group 1 (IGP group, n=41): Pregnant women with proteinuria ≥300 mg/24-hour without hypertension. Group 2 (IGP onset PE group, n=10): Pregnant women with proteinuria ≥300 mg/24-hour who later developed hypertension. Group 3 (Control group, n=84): Pregnant women without proteinuria (<300 mg/24-hour) and hypertension during antenatal follow-up formed the control group. Maternal and neonatal outcomes of each group were compared. Results: No difference was found between the pregnant women with IGP and the control group in terms of maternal and neonatal outcomes including gestational age at delivery, preterm deliveries, early preterm deliveries, delivery mode, birth weight, rates of low birth weight infants, neonatal intensive care unit admissions. The progression rate of IGP to PE was 19.6% (10/51). The overall prevalence of PE in the general study population was 2.04% (195 out of 9,520). Based on these findings, IGP was associated with a 12-fold increased risk of developing PE (OR 11.6, 95% CI 5.7-23.6; p<0.001). Additionally, younger maternal age and previous PE history were found as risk factors in the progression of IGP to PE. Conclusion: Unless hypertension develops in IGP, there is no difference between maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with IGP and healthy pregnant women.