Placenta growth factor levels in second-trimester maternal serum in Down syndrome pregnancy and in the prediction of preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the levels of placenta growth factor (PlGF) in second-trimester maternal serum samples from pregnancies affected with fetal Down syndrome and from those that developed preeclampsia and to assess the utility of PlGF as a screening tool for these conditions.


METHODS
Residual second-trimester maternal serum samples were retrieved from freezer storage for 39 cases of Down syndrome and 44 pregnancies that later developed preeclampsia. Each case was matched to 5 control samples for gestational age at collection and duration of freezer storage. PlGF levels were measured in each sample by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
PlGF levels increased with gestational age between 15 and 20 gestational weeks. After adjusting for gestational-age effects, the median level of PlGF was 1.01 MoM in Down syndrome pregnancy and 0.74 MoM in pregnancies that developed preeclampsia, which were not significantly different from matched controls. The duration between sampling and onset of preeclampsia did not have an effect on the PlGF level.


CONCLUSIONS
PlGF levels are not significantly altered in second-trimester maternal serum samples from cases of Down syndrome or in pregnancies that develop preeclampsia.
Lambert-Messerlian
Geralyn M
GM
Division of Prenatal and Special Testing, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Women and Infants Hospital and Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA. gmesserl@wihri.org
Canick
Jacob A
JA
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*
D015415:Biomarkers; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor