London, Sept 9 (ZEENEWS.COM) A simple blood test could predict a potentially fatal pregnancy complication up to three months before symptoms occur, researchers report.

Women who go on to develop pre-eclampsia have high levels of two key proteins in their blood, the study found. The proteins, which disrupt blood vessel formation, also suggest potential targets for treatment.

Pre-eclampsia is little understood and a dangerous complication occurring in up to 5 percent of pregnancies. It is the leading cause of premature delivery worldwide.

The condition often strikes without warning, causing the woman`s blood pressure to spike and predispose her to developing blood clots. Some women go on to suffer convulsions and even death. For this reason, doctors may have to deliver her baby immediately, even if many weeks remain before its due date.

Richard Levine of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Maryland, US, and colleagues analysed blood samples taken from 552 women throughout the course of their pregnancies, including 192 who developed pre-eclampsia.

Although there is no current treatment for pre-eclampsia, a widely available test to detect the condition could identify women who require medical monitoring and easy access to facilities able to perform Caesarean sections.

Marshall Lindheimer at the University of Chicago, Illinois, US, says there is hope that proteins such as VEGF-121, which promotes blood vessel formation, could treat the illness. A preliminary study showing that this protein reversed symptoms of pre-eclampsia in rats suggests that it might be possible.

Levine agrees that a treatment for pre-eclampsia is within reach. But he cautions that altering protein levels in the blood may have an undesired effect on the fetus. “The difficulty is that you are dealing with two patients here. We would hope that VEGF is good for the mother and baby,� he says.