Placental Growth Factor Assessment of Women With Suspected Pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia (PET), a disease of late pregnancy characterised by hypertension and proteinuria, complicates 2-8% of pregnancies and is associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Many reports have highlighted the frequent substandard care, often attributed to clinicians not identifying the seriousness of clinical signs suggestive of the disease. Consequently, improvements in prediction of development of PET have the potential to vastly improve clinical outcomes and reduce costs.

Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) belongs to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family and represents a key regulator of angiogenic events in pathological conditions. PlGF exerts its biological function through the binding and activation of the receptor Flt-1. In PET, it is thought that endothelial dysfunction leads to an increased level of a circulating decoy receptor, known as soluble Flt-1, (sFlt-1), a soluble receptor for both VEGF-A and PlGF.

In 2013, the INFANT team were part of an international group that published the first multicentre prospective study (PELICAN) evaluating the use of PlGF in women presenting with suspected PET, which reported high sensitivity (95-96%) and negative predictive value (95-98%) for low PlGF in determining need for delivery for confirmed PET within 14 days. This study suggests that PlGF testing presents a realistic and innovative adjunct to the management of women with suspected PET, especially those presenting preterm.

Inclusion criteria

Pregnant women between 20+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation (inclusive) Singleton pregnancy Aged 18 years or over Able to give informed consent, presenting with any symptoms of suspected pre-eclampsia

• Headache
• visual disturbances
• epigastric or right upper quadrant pain
• increasing oedema
• hypertension
• dipstick proteinuria
• suspected fetal growth restriction
• if the healthcare provider deems that the woman requires evaluation for possible pre-eclampsia

Exclusion criteria

• Confirmed pre-eclampsia at point of enrolment (sustained hypertension with systolic BP ≥ 140 or diastolic BP ≥ 90 on at least two occasions at least 4hrs apart) with significant quantified proteinuria (>300mg protein on 24hr collection, urine protein creatinine ratio >30mg/mmol or +3 Dipstick Proteinuria)
• >37 weeks gestation
• Abnormal PET bloods
• Multiple pregnancy at any time point
• Decision regarding delivery already made
• Lethal fetal abnormality
• Previous participation in PELICAN trial in a prior pregnancy
• Unable/unwilling to give informed consent