603 Can second trimester serum cytokines predict pre-eclampsia?

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a major obstetric complication possibly related to an increased systemic inflammatory response mediated by placental cytokines. We aimed to determine if serum cytokines measured during the second trimester are predictive of the development of pre-eclampsia. Serum samples from women 18 years or older with a singleton pregnancy collected at 24-28 weeks gestation were tested using a panel of 72 cytokines. T-tests were used to identify differences of individual cytokine levels in pre-eclampsia. Pearson correlation analysis was used to create a logistic regression equation. Principle component analysis (PCA) was used to validate factors that can distinguish pre-eclampsia from non-pre-eclampsia. Samples from 26 women who developed pre-eclampsia and 22 controls were evaluated using the 72-cytokine array panel. Age and TARC (Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine) were significantly different between pre-eclampsia and controls (p=0.016; p=0.042, respectively) while BCA-1 (B cell–attracting chemokine-1), GROα (growth-regulated oncogene alpha), and MIG (monokine induced by interferon-γ) showed a trend toward difference (p=0.077; p=0.090; p=0.119, respectively). Age, TARC, BCA-1, and GROα were positively correlated with the development of pre-eclampsia (r=0.35; r=0.30; r=0.26; r=0.31, p-value <0.05, respectively), while MIG and VEGF were negatively correlated (r=-0.23; r=-0.20, p-value <0.05, respectively). The regression equation after stepwise logistic regression is Pre-eclampsia = -13.191 +0.380 Age + 0.038 GROα – 0.001 MIG. The most important factors predictive of pre-eclampsia were age, GROα, and MIG (p=0.015; p=0.049; p=0.094, respectively). PCA validates that a combination of Age, TARC, BCA-1, GROα, and MIG can distinguish between pregnancies that will develop pre-eclampsia from those that will not. There are several cytokines associated with the development of pre-eclampsia. Of these, GROα and MIG measured during the second trimester may be predictive of pregnancies at higher risk of pre-eclampsia.