Biomarkers for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

A method for identifying and treating preeclampsia (PE) in a pregnant human female not manifesting hypertension, comprising;

• (a) identifying the pregnant human female in need of treatment by having an assay conducted, wherein the assay comprises:
• (i) measuring the quantity of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein complex acid labile chain (ALS) in a sample from the pregnant human female, wherein the pregnant human female does not have active hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) or PE and does not manifest hypertension;
• (ii) comparing the quantity of ALS measured in (i) with a reference value of the quantity of ALS, said reference value representing the level of ALS in healthy pregnant human females, wherein said pregnant human female is at risk of developing PE when the quantity of ALS measured is elevated compared to the reference value;
• (iii) finding an elevated quantity of ALS measured in (i) from the reference value in the pregnant human female;
• and
• (b) administering to the pregnant human female having the elevated quantity of ALS for PE an anti-hypertensive treatment selected from the group consisting of beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators and DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors, whereby PE is treated in the pregnant human female.