Angiogenic Biomarkers as Predictive Tests for Early Onset Preeclampsia: A Population-Based Study

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Preeclampsia is the most common of the serious complications of pregnancy. It is caused by a defect in the placenta and is symptomless in the early stages. It is currently only detectable by regular antenatal checks on the mother s blood pressure and urine. In its widest forms, preeclampsia affects about 1 in 10 pregnancies overall and 1 in 50 pregnancies severely. It is potentially life-threatening to mother and baby if allowed to develop and progress undetected. Preeclampsia is curable only by delivery, which puts some babies at risk if they have to be delivered prematurely. Recently, scientists have identified chemicals in the blood that appear to be associated with the onset of preeclampsia. However, it is not known how accurate these ?biomarkers? are at predicting preeclampsia, nor how early in the pregnancy the association can be detected. If the biomarkers could provide a warning that a pregnant woman was highly likely to develop symptoms, then preventative treatment could be given early. Furthermore, if women not at all at risk could be identified, then they could be spared repeated visits to the hospital for blood and urine tests. To determine the accuracy of these biomarkers, samples of blood and urine collected from pregnant women from three European countries will be brought to Birmingham for testing. These samples have been donated at three different time points in the pregnancy, to allow the investigators to determine when the best time to test is. The results from the samples will be anonymously linked to clinical information such as blood pressure to see if the biomarkers appear in women who develop preeclampsia. Statistical analysis of the tests and clinical information will provide doctors and midwives with information about the risk of preeclampsia if a women tests positive or negative for these biomarkers.