Serum hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotrophin at 14-17 weeks of gestation does not predict preeclampsia.
BACKGROUND
Low first-trimester serum concentrations of hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG-h) predict later preeclampsia. We studied whether serum hCG-h at 14-17 weeks of pregnancy also predicts preeclampsia alone or combined with placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor 1 (sVEGFR-1).


METHODS
We conducted a nested case-control study comprising 55 women with subsequent preeclampsia, 21 with gestational hypertension, 30 with a small-for-gestational-age infant, and 83 controls. Serum concentrations of hCG-h, proportion of hCG-h to hCG (%hCG-h), PlGF, and sVEGFR-1 were converted to multiples of the medians (MoMs) adjusted for gestational age.


RESULTS
Concentrations of hCG-h or %hCG-h did not differ between women with subsequent preeclampsia and controls. In women with subsequent preeclampsia, PlGF was lower (0.62 MoM) than in controls (P < 0.001). In receiver-operating characteristics curve analysis for the prediction of preeclampsia, the area under the curve for hCG-h or %hCG-h was not significantly different from 0.5, whereas that for PlGF was 0.746 (95% confidence interval, 0.656-0.836; P < 0.001). Combining hCG-h or %hCG-h with PlGF did not improve the prognostic value.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum hCG-h did not improve prediction of preeclampsia in the second trimester.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Elina
E
Keikkala
Jenni K
JK
Ranta
Piia
P
Vuorela
Reetta
R
Leinonen
Hannele
H
Laivuori
Sari
S
Väisänen
Jaana
J
Marttala
Jarkko
J
Romppanen
Kari
K
Pulkki
Ulf-Håkan
UH
Stenman
Seppo
S
Heinonen
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin