Serum biomarkers combined with uterine artery Doppler in prediction of preeclampsia

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a multi-systemic disease which affects 4-5% of pregnancies, being one of the main causes often leading to death for both the mother and the baby, the death rate going up to 50,000-60,000 cases on an annual basis, which occurs in countries where the income is low or average. Although preeclampsia is considered one of the medical disorders that are still uncertain, recent research raises the question of the endothelial dysfunction, thus the imbalance between pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors is taken into consideration both as a means to diagnose and prognosticate it. Furthermore, the biomarkers play a key role regarding the disease, being subject to accurate interpretation. Measurements of the IP of the uterine blood vessels through Doppler interpretation during the second term of the pregnancy might bring further evidence in support of identifying preeclampsia features, which emphasize the role of the biomarkers in predicting the development of the disease.