The investigation of proteinuria in pregnancy using iso-dalt analysis

Urinary protein excretion has been investigated using the iso-dalt technique in pregnant patients with hypertension and proteinuria, without hypertension but with proteinuria and without either hypertension or proteinuria. This high resolution electrophoretic technique has shown a great variation in the pattern of protein excreted by these patients, particularly those with hypertension. These showed an increased number of protein species in the urine, some of unknown identity. Two urines from this group appeared to contain no detectable albumin. Currently this technique is inappropriate for the routine analysis of urine proteins. However, further studies may determine the diagnostic value of these changes in urine excretion and allow the development of more specific assays.