First trimester urinary placental growth factor and development of pre-eclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To compare urinary placental growth factor (PlGF) concentration at 11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks of gestation in women who subsequently develop pre-eclampsia with normotensive controls.


METHODS
Nested case-control study within a prospective study for first trimester prediction of pre-eclampsia.


METHODS
Routine antenatal visit in a teaching hospital.


METHODS
Fifty-two women who developed pre-eclampsia and 52 controls matched for gestational age and sample storage time.


METHODS
Urinary PlGF concentration and PlGF to creatinine ratio were measured in women who developed pre-eclampsia and their matched controls. Comparisons between groups were performed using Student's t test.


METHODS
Development of pre-eclampsia.


RESULTS
In the pre-eclampsia group, the median urinary PlGF concentration (20.6 pg/ml, interquartile range [IQR] 9.1-32.0 pg/ml) and median urinary PlGF to creatinine ratio (1.6 pg/mg, IQR 1.2-2.5 pg/mg) were not significantly different from the control group (11.8 pg/ml, IQR 5.5-29.8 pg/ml, P=0.1 and 1.7 pg/mg, IQR 1.2-2.3 pg/mg, P=0.3, respectively). There were no significant differences between women with early-onset pre-eclampsia requiring delivery before 34 weeks (n=13) and those with late-onset pre-eclampsia (n=39) and between women with pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction (FGR) (n=25) and those with pre-eclampsia and no FGR (n=27) in either median PlGF concentration or median urinary PlGF to creatinine ratio.


CONCLUSIONS
The development of pre-eclampsia is not preceded by altered urinary PlGF concentration in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Savvidou
M D
MD
Department of Obstetrics, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK. msavvidou@dsla.ndo.co.uk
Akolekar
R
R
Zaragoza
E
E
Poon
L C
LC
Nicolaides
K H
KH
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000652:urine*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000652:urine; D011446:Prospective Studies
D015415:Biomarkers; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D003404:Creatinine