Determination of placental growth factor (PlGF) levels in healthy pregnant women without signs or symptoms of preeclampsia

Craig Saffer; Gayle Olson; Kim A Boggess; Richard Beyerlein; Charles Eubank; Baha M Sibai; NORMALS Study Group

doi:10.1016/j.preghy.2013.01.004

Determination of placental growth factor (PlGF) levels in healthy pregnant women without signs or symptoms of preeclampsia

Pregnancy Hypertens. 2013 Apr;3(2):124-32. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2013.01.004. Epub 2013 Jan 19.

Authors

Craig Saffer¹, Gayle Olson², Kim A Boggess³, Richard Beyerlein⁴, Charles Eubank⁵, Baha M Sibai⁶; NORMALS Study Group

Affiliations

¹ West Coast OB/GYN, 7910 Frost St., Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92123, United States. Electronic address: csaffer@pol.net.
² University of Texas Medical Branch, 3.400 Old John Sealy, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, United States. Electronic address: golson@utmb.edu.
³ University of North Carolina, 3010 Old Clinic Blg, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States. Electronic address: kim_boggess@med.unc.edu.
⁴ Clinical Trials of America, 10 Coburg Rd., Eugene, OR 97401, United States. Electronic address: rbeyerlein@ctofa.com.
⁵ Advanced Research Associates, 5920 Saratoga Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78414, United States. Electronic address: eubank@araresearch.com.
⁶ The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin, MSB 3.286, Houston, TX 77030, United States. Electronic address: nbist@aol.com.

PMID: 26105949
DOI: 10.1016/j.preghy.2013.01.004

Abstract

Objective: To identify a reference range for placental growth factor (PlGF) in normotensive women without symptoms or signs of preeclampsia.

Study design: Comprising the study cohort were 247 term pregnancies without preeclampsia or adverse neonatal outcomes from 16 sites in the US and Canada. Serial plasma samples were collected in 6 gestational age (GA) intervals between 20+0 and 40+0weeks. Non-parametric percentiles of the distribution of PlGF were estimated in each GA interval and a parametric model was developed to describe the distribution of PlGF as a continuous smooth function of GA (from 20 to 40weeks) in normal healthy pregnancy. Demographic and clinical factors influencing PlGF levels were also examined.

Results: There were 1366 evaluable samples collected from 247 subjects (242, 238, 226, 223, 222, and 215 samples in each GA interval, 20-24, 24-29, 29-32, 32-35, 35-37, and 37-40weeks, respectively). The 5th percentile of PlGF was 76.4, 141.1, 139.3, 65.5, 31.7, and 23.4pg/mL in each respective GA interval. The distribution of PlGF is approximately log normal with parameters that vary continuously as a function of GA. PlGF distribution is weakly dependent on maternal age, race/ethnicity, parity, and maximum systolic blood pressure (taken between weeks 20 and 24). Although statistically significant, these factors did not modify PlGF levels by more than ±15%.

Conclusion: These data provide a valid reference range for PlGF in normal pregnancy.

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Biomarker; Placental growth factor (PlGF); Preeclampsia; Triage PlGF test.