New markers for early prediction of preeclampsia

Relevance: Preeclampsia is a dangerous condition that can be life threatening for the mother and baby. Globally, it is diagnosed in 10 million women annually, representing 3 to 8% of all pregnancies. Currently, there is no confirmed effective treatment for preeclampsia. In this regard, the possibility of predicting this complication is relevant. Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of matrix metalloproteases-2 and metalloproteases-9 as early markers of preeclampsia. Materials and methods: In this prospective study, 72 patients were tested for matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9. Thirty-four of them (study group) subsequently developed preeclampsia during pregnancy (20 and 14 patients had moderate and severe preeclampsia, respectively); 38 patients with uncomplicated pregnancy constituted the control group. Results: In pregnant women who developed preeclampsia, matrix metalloproteinase-2 levels at 11-13 weeks' gestation were 155±73.4 ng/mL and were statistically significantly higher than in pregnant women without hypertensive disorders (75.0±32.8 ng/mL). Concentration of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in pregnant women with preeclampsia was significantly lower than in controls [749±296 ng/mL and 1667±552 ng/mL (P<0.001)]. In the first trimester, the matrix metalloproteinase-2 cut-off value to predict the development of preeclampsia was >.102 ng/mL (sensitivity, 88.24%; specificity, 82.76%). For matrix metalloproteinase-9, concentration of 4980 ng/mL in the first trimester predicts the development of preeclampsia with a sensitivity of85.29% and specificity of84.48%. Conclusion: The study identified cut-off values for matrix metalloproteases-2 and metalloproteases-9 to predict the development of preeclampsia in the first trimester.

preeclampsia, matrix metalloproteinases, prediction of preeclampsia