Angiogenic markers could predict adverse pregnancy outcomes

Clin Exp Med. 2022 Nov;22(4):605-612. doi: 10.1007/s10238-021-00764-2. Epub 2021 Nov 6.

Abstract

Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) have been a devastating actuality in clinic. However, the pre-onset risk factors, that correlated with pregnancy failure, including antiphospholipid antibodies (APLs) and angiogenic factors, remain unclear. A retrospective study was performed in this research, and data from 145 pregnant women were collected during their pregnancy. Patients were finally divided into non-APO group (n = 89) and APO group (n = 56) according to their pregnancy outcomes. The associations among their characteristics, laboratory tests, therapies, and outcomes were analyzed. Univariate analysis demonstrated that patients with APOs showed significant prevalence of lupus anticoagulant (LAC) positive (P < 0.001), antiphospholipid syndrome (P = 0.030), and heparin prior to pregnancy (P = 0.041). LAC positive was correlated with shorter gestational age (P = 0.043) and gestational weeks of pre-term delivery (P = 0.011). Increased ratio of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1/placental growth factor in pregnancies with APLs was correlated with the APOs and worse neonatal outcomes, including gestational age (P = 0.028), fetal death (P = 0.011), gestational weeks of pre-term delivery (P = 0.002), and birth weight percentile (P = 0.016). Angiogenic markers in pregnancies with APLs were correlated with the incidence of APOs.

Keywords: Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs); Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS); Lupus anticoagulant (LAC); Placental growth factor (PlGF).

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Antiphospholipid
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome*
  • Female
  • Heparin
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor
  • Placenta Growth Factor
  • Pre-Eclampsia*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1

Substances

  • Placenta Growth Factor
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
  • Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Antibodies, Antiphospholipid
  • Heparin