First-of-Its-Kind Prognostic Test Can Diagnose Severe Preeclampsia Earlier and More Accurately

Preeclampsia, a severe hypertensive disorder affecting about 2% to 8% of expectant mothers globally, is a frequent contributor to maternal and fetal complications, as well as premature births. It's mainly defined by high blood pressure, with other indications including increased protein levels in the urine and organ damage, though some women may not exhibit any symptoms. There is no definitive diagnostic test for preeclampsia. For years, doctors have depended on assessing blood pressure and urinary proteins to predict preeclampsia. Nonetheless, these methods fail to accurately predict the onset of severe preeclampsia, especially as the pregnancy advances. A newly FDA-approved blood test now provides U.S. physicians with a more accurate and earlier prediction of severe preeclampsia during pregnancy.

This first-of-its-kind prognostic test developed by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine (Chicago, IL, USA) works by identifying sFlt1 and PIGF, two blood proteins that are more accurate in predicting poor preeclampsia outcomes compared to existing methods. The test can be applied between weeks 23 and 35 of gestation to predict the development of severe preeclampsia in women displaying hypertension symptoms during pregnancy or diagnosed with the same. The team spent over a decade studying sFlt1 and PlGF biomarkers to predict and categorize preeclampsia in patients and trying to gain FDA approval in collaboration with long-time partners. The test or some of its components are already in use in Europe, Canada, and Asia.

Image: Newly approved blood test can help predict severe preeclampsia (Photo courtesy of Freepik)

For those women testing negative and identified as low-risk, this test could mean shorter hospital stays and fewer, or no, steroid treatments. High-risk patients, as determined by the test, could be transferred to facilities better equipped to manage maternal complications and premature delivery. The test also has potential to reduce premature birth rates in patients suspected to have preeclampsia, though confirmation is not possible - an area the researchers aim to gather data on. They also anticipate the test to address the significant disparity faced by Black pregnant women regarding preeclampsia: they are 60% more likely to develop it compared to their white counterparts, with significantly higher complication rates.

"Doctors can use this in conjunction with other clinically available tests to stratify their patients to determine whether they're at high risk for severe preeclampsia and complications, or at low risk, to be managed appropriately," said Sarosh Rana, MD, MPH, chief of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine.

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