Failure of second-trimester measurement of soluble endoglin and other angiogenic factors to predict placental abruption.

OBJECTIVE

High level of soluble endoglin (sEng), a potent antiangiogenic factor, predicts pre-eclampsia. We compared the serum levels of sEng in early second trimester in women with and without subsequent placental abruption. Proangiogenic placental growth factor (PlGF) and antiangiogenic soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) were also studied.

METHODS

Serum samples of 42 women with placental abruption and 50 control women, collected at 15 to 16 gestational weeks were analyzed for sEng, sFlt-1 and PlGF by immunoassays.

RESULTS

The levels of sEng showed no difference between the cases and controls, but parous or smoking women with abruption had lower levels of sEng. Similarly, sFlt-1, PlGF, or sFlt-1/PlGF ratio showed no difference between the cases and the controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that sEng, PlGF and sFlt-1 levels in early second trimester fail to predict placental abruption.