Can maternal serum placental growth factor estimation in early second trimester predict the occurrence of early onset preeclampsia and/or early onset intrauterine growth restriction? A prospective cohort study

Aim To determine whether maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF) estimation in early second trimester (2022 weeks of gestation) can predict the occurrence of early onset preeclampsia and/or early onset intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Material and Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 722 women with singleton pregnancies, screened from the antenatal clinic, and serum PlGF levels were estimated at 2022 weeks of gestation. A cut-off value of <155pg/mL for serum PlGF was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for identifying pregnant women at risk of developing early onset preeclampsia and/or early onset IUGR. Preeclampsia and IUGR were classified as early onset when diagnosed by 32 weeks of gestation. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between serum PlGF level <155pg/mL and the two outcome measures (i.e. early onset preeclampsia and early onset IUGR) and odds ratio (OR) was computed. P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Maternal serum PlGF level <155pg/mL at 2022 weeks of gestation had a strong association with early onset preeclampsia (OR 8.35; 95% CI 1.7918.94; P=0.007) and with early onset IUGR (OR 10.73; 95% CI 4.0820.23; P=0.000). The sensitivity of serum PlGF<155pg/mL for predicting early onset preeclampsia and early onset IUGR were 82 and 84, respectively. Conclusion Maternal serum PlGF level estimation in early second trimester (2022 weeks of gestation) may be useful in predicting the occurrence of early onset preeclampsia and/or early onset IUGR.