Objective: To evaluate the circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), placental growth factor (PlGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in women with abnormal placentation and to compare the data with the results of women with normal pregnancy.
Material and methods: Serum biomarkers of angiogenesis and maternal and perinatal characteristics of 68 pregnant women, all in the third trimester, who were diagnosed to have vaginal bleeding due to complete placenta previa with and without concomitant placenta accreta, increta and percreta as the study group and 30 pregnant women without any placentation abnormality who eventually delivered at ≥37 weeks of gestational age as the control group were evaluated.
Results: There was no statistical difference in the maternal serum values of sFlt1, PlGF, sFlt1/PlGF ratio and VEGF in groups with placental abnormality as compared to controls. Not even a single case of preeclampsia and intrauterine fetal growth restriction was encountered in the study group.
Conclusion: We demonstrated that regardless of the localization and the degree of the myometrial invasion of the placenta in the uterus, the circulatory biomarkers of angiogenesis and vascularization were comparable.
Keywords: Angiogenesis; abnormally invasive placenta; placenta previa; placental growth factor; soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1; vascular endothelial growth factor.