Recent advances in the diagnosis and management of pre-eclampsia

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of maternal mortality, responsible annually for over 60,000 maternal deaths around the globe. Pre-eclampsia is a multisystem disease featuring hypertension, proteinuria, and renal, hepatic, and neurological involvement. Diagnosis is often elusive, as clinical presentation is highly variable. Even those with severe disease can remain asymptomatic. Angiogenic factors are emerging as having a role in the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and in prognostication of established disease. In this article, we summarize new developments and focus on angiogenic biomarkers for prediction of disease onset. We also discuss recent advances in management strategies for patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Keywords: PlGF; angiogenic biomarkers; diagnosis; hypertensive disorders; pre-eclampsia.

Figure 1.. Time to delivery (median, interquartile range) stratified by PlGF concentration for all participants and for pre-eclampsia cases .

Red line indicates very low PlGF (<12 pg/mL); orange line, low PlGF (< fifth centile); green line, normal PlGF (≥ fifth centile). PlGF, placental growth factor.