Placental Growth Factor as A Predictor of Preeclampsia in Teenage Pregnancy Study Conducted in Tertiary care Hospital of Peshawar

Authors

  • Rabia Latif Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Shabbir Khan Department of Biochemistry, Northwest School of Medicine, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
  • Samiullah Department of Pathology, Nowshehra Meidcal College, Nowshehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65761/pjcr.2026.280

Keywords:

Placental Growth Factor, Pre-Eclampsia, Pregnancy in Adolescence, Biomarkers, Predictive Value of Tests, Risk Assessment

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia is a condition of pregnancy categorized by high blood pressure and raised quantity of proteinuria.

Objective: This study was designed with the objective that whether low Placental Growth factor in first trimester can predict preeclampsia in second or third trimester in teenage pregnancy.

Methods: This was a longitudinal study conducted in the antenatal clinic of Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Consent form was taken for the study from   Ethics Committee of Khyber Medical University (KMU) and HMC. Each participant was given a predesigned questionnaire and 3 to 5 ml blood was collected. After taking blood sample hematological parameters like hemoglobin, platelet count and placental growth factor were determined. A follow-up visit for examination of blood pressure was done on 20-24 weeks of gestation of each patient.

Results: A total of 88 teenagers (age 16±2 years) primigravida women were taken by random selection from tertiary care hospitals of KPK. It was found that preeclampsia is inversely related with placental growth factor (PLGF) with significant p value < 0.000. PLGF can predict preeclampsia in 3rd trimester the value of PLGF with age decreases, there is inverse relation between the serums PLGF with age and most of the preeclampsia developed in patients who have low concentration of PLGF.

Conclusion: Introduction of PLGF test in 1st trimester could be appropriate for early diagnosis, resource allocation, and cost saving treatment and to ovoid later complication. It is recommended to treat suspected preeclampsia primigravida women with PLGF early in pregnancy.

References

1. Al-Jameil N, Khan FA, Khan MF, Tabassum H. A brief overview of preeclampsia. Journal of clinical medicine research. 2013 Dec 13;6(1):1. https://doi.org/10.4021/jocmr1682w

2. Arulkumaran N, Lightstone L. Severe pre-eclampsia and hypertensive crises. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 2013 Dec 1;27(6):877-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2013.07.003

3. Brichant JF, Bonhomme V. Preeclampsia: an update. Acta Anaesthesiol Belg. 2014;65(4):137-49.

4. Brown MA, Magee LA, Kenny LC, Karumanchi SA, McCarthy FP, Saito S, Hall DR, Warren CE, Adoyi G, Ishaku S. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: ISSHP classification, diagnosis, and management recommendations for international practice. Hypertension. 2018 Jul;72(1):24-43. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.10803

5. Burton GJ, Yung HW, Cindrova-Davies T, Charnock-Jones DS. Placental endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of unexplained intrauterine growth restriction and early onset preeclampsia. Placenta. 2009 Mar 1;30:43-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2008.11.003

6. Dávila RD, Julian CG, Browne VA, Toledo-Jaldin L, Wilson MJ, Rodriguez A, Vargas E, Moore LG. Role of cytokines in altitude-associated preeclampsia. Pregnancy Hypertension: An International Journal of Women's Cardiovascular Health. 2012 Jan 1;2(1):65-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.preghy.2011.11.001

7. Duley L. The global impact of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. InSeminars in perinatology 2009 Jun 1 (Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 130-137). WB Saunders. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semperi.2009.02.010

8. Eiland E, Nzerue C, Faulkner M. Preeclampsia 2012. Journal of pregnancy. 2012;2012(1):586578. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/586578

9. English FA, Kenny LC, McCarthy FP. Risk factors and effective management of preeclampsia. Integrated blood pressure control. 2015 Mar 3:7-12. https://doi.org/10.2147/IBPC.S50641

10. Hayes I, Enohumah K, McCaul C. Care of the migrant obstetric population. International journal of obstetric anesthesia. 2011 Oct 1;20(4):321-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijoa.2011.06.008

11. Hutcheon JA, Stephansson O, Cnattingius S, Bodnar LM, Wikström AK, Johansson K. Pregnancy weight gain before diagnosis and risk of preeclampsia: a population-based cohort study in nulliparous women. Hypertension. 2018 Aug;72(2):433-41. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.10999

12. Jeyabalan A. Epidemiology of preeclampsia: impact of obesity. Nutrition reviews. 2013 Oct 1;71(suppl_1):S18-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/nure.12055

13. Khowaja AR, Qureshi RN, Sheikh S, Zaidi S, Salam R, Sawchuck D, Vidler M, Von Dadelszen P, Bhutta Z. Community’s perceptions of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Sindh Pakistan: a qualitative study. Reproductive health. 2016 Jun 8;13(Suppl 1):36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-016-0136-x

14. Kyu HH, Stein CE, Pinto CB, Rakovac I, Weber MW, Purnat TD, Amuah JE, Glenn SD, Cercy K, Biryukov S, Gold AL. Causes of death among children aged 5–14 years in the WHO European Region: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The lancet child & adolescent health. 2018 May 1;2(5):321-37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30095-6

15. Moser G, Weiss G, Sundl M, Gauster M, Siwetz M, Lang-Olip I, Huppertz B. Extravillous trophoblasts invade more than uterine arteries: evidence for the invasion of uterine veins. Histochemistry and cell biology. 2017 Mar;147(3):353-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-016-1509-5

16. Obstetricians ACo G. Hypertension in pregnancy. Report of the American college of obstetricians and gynecologists' task force on hypertension in pregnancy. Obstet gynecol. 2013;122(5):1122. https://doi.org/10.1002/pd.5679

17. Porreco RP, Barkey R. Peripartum intensive care. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. 2010;23(10):1136-8. https://doi.org/10.3109/14767058.2010.490890

18. Schmidt M, Dogan C, Birdir C, Kuhn U, Gellhaus A, Kimmig R, Kasimir-Bauer S. Placental growth factor: a predictive marker for preeclampsia?. Gynäkologisch-geburtshilfliche Rundschau. 2009 Mar 25;49(2):94-9. https://doi.org/10.1159/000197908

19. Sonek J, Krantz D, Carmichael J, Downing C, Jessup K, Haidar Z, Ho S, Hallahan T, Kliman HJ, McKenna D. First-trimester screening for early and late preeclampsia using maternal characteristics, biomarkers, and estimated placental volume. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2018 Jan 1;218(1):126-e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.10.024

20. Steegers EA, Von Dadelszen P, Duvekot JJ, Pijnenborg R. Pre-eclampsia. The lancet. 2010 Aug 21;376(9741):631-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60279-6

21. Steegers EA, Von Dadelszen P, Duvekot JJ, Pijnenborg R. Pre-eclampsia. The lancet. 2010 Aug 21;376(9741):631-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60279-6

22. Teran E, Hernandez I, Nieto B, Tavara R, Ocampo JE, Calle A. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. 2009 Apr 1;105(1):43-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2008.11.033

23. Tramontana A, Pablik E, Stangl G, Hartmann B, Dieplinger H, Hafner E. Combination of first trimester serum afamin levels and three-dimensional placental bed vascularization as a possible screening method to detect women at-risk for adverse pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus in low-risk pregnancies. Placenta. 2018 Feb 1;62:9-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2017.12.014

24. Valenzuela FJ, Pérez-Sepúlveda A, Torres MJ, Correa P, Repetto GM, Illanes SE. Pathogenesis of preeclampsia: the genetic component. Journal of pregnancy. 2012;2012(1):632732. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/632732

25. Walker JJ. Pre-eclampsia. The Lancet. 2000 Oct 7;356(9237):1260-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(00)02800-2

26. Whitley GS, Cartwright JE. Cellular and molecular regulation of spiral artery remodelling: lessons from the cardiovascular field. Placenta. 2010 Jun 1;31(6):465-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2010.03.002

Downloads

Published

2026-07-30

How to Cite

1.
Latif R, Khan MS, Samiullah. Placental Growth Factor as A Predictor of Preeclampsia in Teenage Pregnancy Study Conducted in Tertiary care Hospital of Peshawar. Pak J Clin Res [Internet]. 2026 Jul. 30 [cited 2026 Sep. 10];3(7):10-4. Available from: https://pjcr.org/index.php/PJCR/article/view/280

Similar Articles

1-10 of 17

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.