Blood Test Could Detect Pre-Eclampsia Before Symptoms Appear

Pre-eclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication characterized by sudden high blood pressure that can threaten the lives of both mother and baby. Affecting about five percent of pregnancies worldwide, the condition often develops without warning and is frequently detected only after symptoms become severe. Researchers have now identified previously hidden molecular signals that may allow clinicians to detect pre-eclampsia weeks before symptoms appear.

New research from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath (Bath, UK) focused on gene regulation during placental development and identified molecular markers linked to early-onset pre-eclampsia. The team analyzed how genes are activated in the developing placenta and discovered that small regulatory regions derived from ancient retroviral DNA sequences play a key role in controlling placental gene activity. These viral remnants, inherited through human evolution, act as regulatory switches that influence gene expression.

The study found that two retroviral fragments—LTR8B and MER65—control the regulation of the pregnancy-specific protein PSG9, which is important for normal placental development. When this regulatory system malfunctions, placental development becomes impaired, a hallmark of early-onset pre-eclampsia. The researchers also discovered that disruptions in this system leave detectable molecular signals in maternal blood early in pregnancy, suggesting the possibility of a non-invasive diagnostic test.

These findings, published in Genome Biology, provide new insight into the biological mechanisms underlying pre-eclampsia and could lead to earlier screening methods that identify high-risk pregnancies before symptoms develop. Early detection would allow clinicians to monitor patients more closely and intervene sooner to reduce complications. The research may also support the development of future treatments targeting the regulatory pathways involved in placental gene control.

“This work shows that an ancient viral sequence can act like a manual for a placental gene,” said Dr. Manvendra Singh, lead author of the study. “By mapping the regulatory region and testing it functionally, we have now connected genome evolution to a concrete disease mechanism – and to the possibility of earlier detection.”

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