Placental Growth Factor Diagnostic Testing: An Opportunity to Transform Pregnancy Care for Patients With Suspected Preeclampsia in Canada

Kelsey McLaughlin; Melanie C Audette; Harrison Banner; Jon Barrett; Emmanuel Bujold; Honzer Chen; Nicole Cohen; Tina Delaney; Ernesto A Figueiro-Filho; Rachel A Gladstone; Venu Jain; Jessica Liauw; Isabelle Malhamé; Elad Mei-Dan; Nir Melamed; Kellie E Murphy; Christopher M Nash; Christy Pylypjuk; Naila Ramji; Anjana Ravi Chandran; Shani Robertson; Karen C Tran; Ana Werlang; Rebecca L Zur; John C Kingdom; John W Snelgrove

doi:10.1016/j.jogc.2025.103076

Placental Growth Factor Diagnostic Testing: An Opportunity to Transform Pregnancy Care for Patients With Suspected Preeclampsia in Canada

J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2025 Oct;47(10):103076. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2025.103076. Epub 2025 Aug 14.

Authors

Kelsey McLaughlin¹, Melanie C Audette², Harrison Banner³, Jon Barrett⁴, Emmanuel Bujold⁵, Honzer Chen⁶, Nicole Cohen⁷, Tina Delaney⁸, Ernesto A Figueiro-Filho⁹, Rachel A Gladstone¹⁰, Venu Jain¹¹, Jessica Liauw¹², Isabelle Malhamé¹³, Elad Mei-Dan¹⁴, Nir Melamed¹⁵, Kellie E Murphy¹⁶, Christopher M Nash¹⁷, Christy Pylypjuk⁶, Naila Ramji¹⁸, Anjana Ravi Chandran¹⁹, Shani Robertson²⁰, Karen C Tran²¹, Ana Werlang²², Rebecca L Zur⁴, John C Kingdom¹⁶, John W Snelgrove¹⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. Electronic address: Kelsey.mclaughlin@sinaihealth.ca.
² Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Lakeridge Health, Oshawa, ON.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON.
⁵ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Université Laval, Québec City, QC.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.
⁷ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, ON.
⁸ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.
⁹ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.
¹⁰ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
¹¹ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB.
¹² Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC.
¹³ Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC.
¹⁴ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, North York General Hospital, Toronto, ON.
¹⁵ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON.
¹⁶ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
¹⁷ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dalhousie University, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, St. John's, NL.
¹⁸ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dalhousie University, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, St. John's, NL; Department of Bioethics, Dalhousie University, St. John's, NL; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, Fredericton, NB.
¹⁹ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON.
²⁰ Own Volition, Toronto, ON.
²¹ Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine, BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC.
²² Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Newborn Care, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.

PMID: 40818526
DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2025.103076

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and adverse perinatal outcomes in Canada. Growing evidence supports the novel blood-based biomarker placental growth factor (PlGF) as a diagnostic test to accelerate the timely diagnosis of preeclampsia, enhancing care for hypertensive pregnant patients. Despite national endorsement, challenges like regional disparities and test standardization hinder PlGF implementation. The Canadian PlGF Strategy & Research Consortium convened with representation from clinicians, researchers, and patient partners to discuss the current state of PlGF testing. We universally agreed there is an urgent need to implement diagnostic PlGF testing to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes in Canada.

Keywords: maternal health; obstetrics; placental growth factor (PlGF); preeclampsia.

MeSH terms

Biomarkers / blood
Canada
Female
Humans
Placenta Growth Factor* / blood
Pre-Eclampsia* / blood
Pre-Eclampsia* / diagnosis
Pregnancy

Substances

Placenta Growth Factor
Biomarkers
PGF protein, human