Diagnosis of placental insufficiency independently of clinical presentations using sFlt-1/PLGF ratio, including SGA patients.

Angiogenic markers (sFLt1 and PlGF) are altered in preeclampsia and related placental insufficiency syndromes. The utility of these markers in various types of placental insufficiency is still not well known. We analyzed blood specimens from 918 women with suspected or confirmed preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, abruptio placenta, SGA, gestational hypertension for angiogenic markers - sFLT1, PlGF, sFlT1/PlGF ratios and studied them at various gestational windows. sFlt-1/PLGF ratio shows high sensitivity and specificity in all placental insufficiency cases independent of clinical forms below 34 weeks (AUC 0.964 respectively 0.834 34-37 weeks' and 0.843 >37 weeks). In preeclampsia or HELLP, they maintain a high specificity and sensitivity also after 34 weeks of gestation. SGA prior to 34 weeks' gestation displayed severe placental angiogenesis disorders, with their share amounting to 78%. After 34 weeks, this share dropped to only slightly above 50%, and after the 37th week, a mere 38%. Placental angiogenesis markers may be useful in diagnosing many forms of placental ischemia syndromes, particularly when the disease presents early in gestation. In late-onset SGA cases, assessment of the diagnostic value of angiogenesis markers requires further analysis.

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