Exploring the association between PLGF and pregnancy outcomes

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Pregnancy demands vigilant fetal monitoring, yet traditional methods have limitations, leading to research on biomarkers like placental growth factor (PLGF) to enhance predictive accuracy for adverse outcomes. This investigation focuses on assessing the relationship between PLGF levels and pregnancy outcomes in women with suspected preeclampsia.   Materials and Methods: A simple longitudinal design was employed, following pregnant women with suspected preeclampsia from enrollment until delivery. The study included 160 subjects, and their characteristics were recorded at admission. PLGF levels were measured, and pregnancy outcomes were assessed.   Results: Among the study population, the distribution of pregnancies showed that 45.62% were in the first pregnancy, 40% in the second pregnancy, 11.85% in the third pregnancy, and 2.5% in the fifth pregnancy. The highest PLGF levels were observed in the fifth pregnancy group.Analysis revealed that subjects with NICU admission had a lower mean PLGF value compared to those without NICU admission. Among subjects with low PLGF levels, the mean baby weight was lower by approximately 5.3% when match up to those with normal PLGF levels.Regarding blood pressure, subjects with decreased PLGF levels had a higher mean systolic blood pressure in contrast   to those with normal PLGF levels.   Conclusion: Lower PLGF levels were associated with NICU admission, lower baby weight, and higher systolic blood pressure in women with suspected preeclampsia. These findings suggest that PLGF levels may have implications for pregnancy outcomes. Additional investigation with expanded sample sizes is necessary to authenticate these discoveries and look into the clinical relevance of PLGF in understanding and addressing preeclampsia.