Altered Platelet Calcium Metabolism as an Early Predictor of Increased Peripheral Vascular Resistance and Preeclampsia in Urban Black Women

Abstract

Although preeclampsia is an important and relatively common medical problem, its pathophysiology remains unresolved and the search for a biochemical marker that precedes the hemodynamic abnormalities of preeclampsia continues. We designed a study to investigate the hemodynamic changes that characterize preeclampsia and to evaluate the metabolism of platelet intracellular calcium as a possible predictor of the development of preeclampsia.