Study of Serum Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) Level in Women of Preeclampsia and its Correlation with Fetomaternal Outcome

Background: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that affects many pregnancies and is a major cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.Early prediction of disease severity and adverse outcomes is difficult due to its variable clinical presentation and lack of reliable biomarkers.Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), an angiogenic marker, has emerged as a promising predictor of preeclampsia severity and fetomaternal outcomes.This study aimed to evaluate serum PlGF levels in women with preeclampsia and examine their correlation with maternal and fetal outcomes.Methods: This prospective study was conducted involving 160 pregnant women between 20-and 40-weeks' gestation, equally divided into preeclampsia and normotensive control groups.Serum PlGF was measured by using ELISA.Participants were monitored till one week postpartum to assess fetomaternal outcomes.Results: Median serum PlGF levels were significantly lower in preeclamptic women (226.44 pg/ml) compared to controls (282.45pg/ml, p=0.0001).Both severe and non-severe preeclampsia groups showed reduced PlGF, especially after 29 weeks gestation.Nulliparity, advanced maternal age, and previous stillbirth were linked to lower PlGF levels.Preeclampsia cases had higher rates of fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, caesarean delivery, low Apgar scores, and neonatal intensive care admissions.Low PlGF correlated significantly with these adverse outcomes (p<0.05).Conclusion: Serum PlGF levels are significantly associated with preeclampsia severity and adverse fetomaternal outcomes in the later stages of pregnancy.Single-point PlGF measurement may serve as a cost-effective biomarker to predict disease severity and improve clinical management in preeclamptic pregnancies.