Abstract: Objective To evaluate the significance of the serum cystatin C (Cys-C) in assessing renal dysfunction in
preeclamptic women. Methods Ninety-six women with normal pregnancies and 48 with severe preeclampsia were examined
for 24-hour creatinine clearance (CrCl), serum creatinine (Scr), Cys-C, uric acid (UA) and beta microglobulin (MG)
concentrations during the second and third trimesters and postpartum in severe preeclamptic patients. These indexes were
analyzed to estimate the glomerular filtration rate. Results The concentrations of Scr, UA and MG were significantly higher in
the third trimester than in the second trimester in women with normal pregnancies, where serum Cys-C levels showed no
significant variations. Severe preeclamptic patients exhibited significantly higher serum Cys-C levels in the third than in the
second trimester. Correlation analyses demonstrated significant negative correlations between Cys-C and 24-hour CrCl in the
second and third trimesters in all the 144 pregnant women and in the postpartum period in severe preeclamptic patients.
Conclusion Serum Cys-C can serve as a good indicator for assessing renal function in severe preeclamptic women from
antepartum to postpartum periods.