Preliminary report: Serum levels of retinol-binding protein 4 in preeclampsia.

The objective of the study was to investigate serum levels of the adipokine retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) in patients with preeclampsia (PE) as compared with healthy controls of similar gestational age. Retinol-binding protein 4 serum levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in control (n = 20) and PE (n = 16) patients. Mean maternal RBP4 concentrations were not significantly different in PE (24.5 mg/L) as compared with controls (22.3 mg/L). Furthermore, RBP4 did not correlate to clinical and biochemical measures of pregnancy outcome, renal function, glucose, and lipid metabolism, as well as inflammation. Our results do not support a role of RBP4 in the pathogenesis of PE.