Spot urine protein–creatinine ratio and 24-h urine protein excretion: Diagnostic accuracy in women with pre-eclampsia

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of spot urinary protein/creatinine ratio with 24 h urinary protein excretion in women with pre-eclampsia.MethodsA total of 85 women with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy were prospectively studied. Urine protein/creatinine ratio in spot urine sample was compared with 24 h urinary protein. Sensitivity and specificity for urinary spot P/C (protein/creatinine) ratio was assessed, and receiver operating curve was used to determine the value against the gold standard of >300 mg proteinuria in 24 h urinary sample.ResultsOf 85 women, complete data were available for 81 women. There was a strong correlation between spot urinary P/C ratio and 24 h urine protein excretion (r = 0.81, P value <0.000). The optimal spot P/C ratio cut-off point was 0.14 for 300 mg/24 h of protein excretion (preeclampsia) with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 79%.ConclusionWe found a strong correlation between spot urinary P/C and 24 h urinary protein. Spot urinary protein/creatinine ratio is a good predictor of proteinuria for pre-eclampsia.