CffDNA screening is a powerful diagnostic tool in the prenatal diagnosis algorithm for chromosomal abnormalities. With detailed ultrasound examination as the mainstay of first-trimester risk assessment, cffDNA has been shown to be superior to first-trimester combined screening (FTCS) in false-positive rates for trisomy 21 detection. In light of the growing interest in cffDNA testing and the possibility of it replacing first-trimester biochemistry, we decided to investigate the usefulness of cffDNA tests in early-pregnancy risk assessment for preeclampsia (PE). The aim of this review paper was to evaluate clinical application of first-trimester cfDNA in predicting PE, as well as to investigate its possible use in first-trimester PE screening enhancement, also in cases where biochemistry is not performed.
Keywords: PE; cell-free DNA; cell-free fetal DNA; cfDNA; cffDNA; first-trimester combined screening; first-trimester screening; preeclampsia.