Diagnosis and treatment of preeclampsia
AssigneeA1M Pharma AB
InventorsStefan Hansson, Bo Akerstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to biomarkers for preeclampsia as well as treatment of this disease. In particular, the invention relates to methods for diagnosis or aiding in the diagnosis of preeclampsia of a pregnant female mammal to detect elevated levels of free haemoglobin, particularly free fetal haemoglobin. This facilitates and makes possible early diagnosis and clinical intervention when a preeclamptic condition is found. In addition, the invention relates to a method to treat female mammals with preeclampsia with the purpose to reverse the pathological conditions associated with this disease.
Claims6
A method for diagnosing or aiding in diagnosing preclampsia in a subject pregnant female comprising the following steps:
- a) determining whether the subject has preeclampsia or is at an increased risk of developing preeclampsia by
- i) measuring the level of free fetal hemoglobin or measuring the level of free fetal hemoglobin and the level of total free hemoglobin in a non-fetal biological sample in the subject, and
- ii) comparing the level of free fetal hemoglobin or the ratio of free fetal hemoglobin and total hemoglobin in the sample to a control value, wherein an increase in the level or ratio in the sample relative to the control is indicative of preeclampsia;
- and
- b) administering to the subject determined to have preeclampsia or at an increased risk of developing preeclampsia an effective amount of one or more substances selected from the group consisting of haemoglobin binding agents, heme-binding agents, heme-degrading agents and iron-binding agents.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.