title: Increased sFlt-1 to PlGF ratio in women who subsequently develop preeclampsia.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placenta growth factor (PlGF) are altered during the second trimester in the plasma of women who subsequently develop preeclampsia. We performed a case-control study to compare the levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF in the preeclamptic (n=46) and normal pregnant women (n=100). The maternal plasma levels of sFlt-1 and PlGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sFlt-1 levels were significantly higher in the preeclamptic women than in normal controls (p<0.001), while the PlGF levels were significantly lower (p<0.001). In normal controls, sFlt-1 levels were positively correlated (r=0.27, p=0.008), whereas, in the preeclamptic women, those were negatively correlated with the PlGF levels (r=-0.423, p=0.005). Furthermore, the log[sFlt-1/PlGF] ratio was significantly higher in the preeclamptic women than in normal controls (p<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve revealed a specificity of 78% with a diagnostic sensitivity of 80.4%; the optimal cut-off value of the log[sFlt-1/PlGF] ratio was 1.4 (95% CI 0.756-0.910, p<0.001). Preeclampsia showed a strong association with increased levels of sFlt-1 and decreased levels of PlGF in the second trimester maternal plasma. Accordingly, the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio may provide early prediction of subsequent development of preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Kwandong University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun-Mee
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jae-Hyug
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Moon-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung-Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Joo-Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: So-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Moon-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Do-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008875:Middle Aged; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1