OBJECTIVE:

To establish if the clinical use of the test for the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia is scientifically supported by evidence-based medicine.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Ambispective study based on the responses to the PICO clinical question was constructed, then primary sources were searched in PubMed by the strategies Glycogen phosphorylase isoenzyme BB AND Pregnancy, and Glycogen phosphorylase isoenzyme BB AND pre-eclampsia, the relevant ones were selected, with allocation of level of evidence, determining if samples and methodology were similar, comparable or different to the capillary blood test, and results were analized under diagnosis clinical intention.

RESULTS:

No studies were found on qualitative GPBB detection in capillary blood. Three case-control studies (evidence level 4) compared GPBB maternal serum levels determined by ELISA, and described an elevation of GPBB at clinical diagnosis, rather as a phenotypical feature of clinical Pre-eclampsia, but not a diagnostic test.

CONCLUSIONS:

There is no evidence at all to offer the qualitative determination of GPBB in capillary blood of pregnant women; its clinical use is not supported whatsoever.