blood test during pregnancyResearchers recently published a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology on the possibility of predicting risk for stillbirth, preeclampsia and small for gestational age birth based on plasma concentrations of sVEGFR-1 (soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1), sEng (soluble endoglin) and PIGF( placental growth factor). The study was completed on 124 blood samples collected between the 30th and 34th week of gestation and women who gave birth after the 34th week of gestation.

Conclusion: About 3% of women in the study were diagnosed with one of the stated conditions. In women with higher concentrations of PIGF, sEng and/or sVEGFR-1, increased risk of preeclampsia and stillbirth were noted. However, there was no connected noted between these antiangiogenic and angiogenic factors and predicting small for gestational age births.

Chaiworapongsa T, Romero R, Korzeniewski SJ, Kusanovic JP, Soto E, Lam J, Dong Z, Than NG, Yeo L, Hernandez-Andrade E, Conde-Agudelo A, Hassan SS. Maternal plasma concentrations of angiogenic/antiangiogenic factors in the third trimester of pregnancy to identify the patient at risk for stillbirth at or near term and severe late preeclampsia. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Jan 17. pii: S0002-9378(13)00052-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2013.01.016.

Keyword Tags: