First-Trimester Placental Growth Factor and HELLP Syndrome: The PREDICTION Study.

OBJECTIVES

Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome is a complication of preeclampsia. We aimed to estimate the association between first-trimester placental growth factor (PlGF) and other preeclampsia risk factors with HELLP syndrome.

METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of nulliparous women recruited at 11 weeks 0 days - 14 weeks 0 days gestation and stratified according to pregnancy outcome: HELLP syndrome, preeclampsia without HELLP syndrome, or neither (controls). We compared the 3 groups for first-trimester maternal age, BMI, mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, and serum PlGF in multiples of the median (MoM), using non-parametric and receiver-operator characteristics curve analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 7325 eligible participants, 27 (0.4%) developed HELLP syndrome and 228 (3.1%) developed preeclampsia without HELLP. Median PlGF was lower in the preeclampsia (median: 0.85 MoM; IQR 0.61-1.15; P < 0.001), and HELLP syndrome (0.72 MoM; IQR 0.55-1.09, P < 0.001) groups than in controls (1.02 MoM; IQR 0.72-1.43). At PlGF ≤0.7 MoM, the prediction rate for preterm and term HELLP was 56% and 33%, respectively, and the respective values for preeclampsia without HELLP were 50% and 30%, respectively, at a false-positive rate of 17%. In HELLP syndrome, unlike preeclampsia without HELLP, there was no association with first-trimester BMI, mean arterial pressure, or uterine artery pulsatility index.

CONCLUSIONS

First-trimester low PlGF was the only factor associated with HELLP syndrome.