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Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Can placental growth factor in maternal circulation identify fetuses with placental intrauterine growth restriction?
Samantha J Benton1, Yuxiang Hu, Fang Xie
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Child and Family Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Objective:
We investigated whether decreased concentrations of placental growth factor (PlGF) in maternal circulation differentiated placental intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) from constitutionally small fetuses. Excluding congenital syndromes, infection, and aneuploidy, we assumed IUGR with an abnormal placental pathology to be of placental origin.
Study Design:
The study design included a single site, case-control study of 16 cases (9 placental IUGR, 7 constitutionally small) and 79 normal controls with singleton pregnancies. Plasma PlGF was measured by Triage PlGF immunoassay according to the product insert. A positive PlGF test was defined as a concentration less than the fifth percentile for gestational age for normal pregnancy.
Results:
A positive PlGF test was found in 9 of 9 placental IUGR cases, 1 of 7 constitutionally small fetuses, and 4 of 79 controls (P < .0001). PlGF identified placental IUGR from constitutionally small fetuses with 100% sensitivity and 86% specificity (P = .0009).
Conclusion:
These preliminary data suggest PlGF may identify placental IUGR antenatally.
