• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: New Gestational Phase–Specific Cutoff Values for the Use of the Soluble fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase-1/Placental Growth Factor Ratio as a Diagnostic Test for Preeclampsia
  • Contributor: Verlohren, Stefan; Herraiz, Ignacio; Lapaire, Olav; Schlembach, Dietmar; Zeisler, Harald; Calda, Pavel; Sabria, Joan; Markfeld-Erol, Filiz; Galindo, Alberto; Schoofs, Katharina; Denk, Barbara; Stepan, Holger
  • imprint: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2014
  • Published in: Hypertension
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.113.01787
  • ISSN: 0194-911X; 1524-4563
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <jats:p>To establish gestational phase adapted cutoffs for the use of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio as a diagnostic tool for preeclampsia in the clinical setting, a multicenter case–control study including a total of 1149 patients was performed. We report normal values of sFlt-1, PlGF, and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio based on the analysis of a total of 877 patients with uneventful pregnancy outcome. A total of 234 patients with preeclampsia and a matched cohort consisting of 468 patients with normal pregnancy outcome were compared, and sFlt-1 and PlGF were measured on an automated platform. Separate cutoffs for the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were determined for the early (20+0–33+6 weeks) and the late gestational phase (34+0 weeks–delivery). For each of the 2 gestational phases, 2 independent cutoffs framing an equivocal zone were determined: the first cutoff with focus on high sensitivity, and the second focusing on high specificity. Between 20+0 and 33+6 weeks, the cutoffs at ≤33 and ≥85 resulted in a sensitivity/specificity of 95%/94% and 88%/99.5%, respectively. An sFlt-1/PlGF ratio of ≤33 had the lowest likelihood of a negative test (0.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.02–0.13), whereas values ≥85 had the highest likelihood of a positive test (176; 95% confidence interval, 24.88–1245). After 34+0 weeks, the cutoffs at ≤33 and ≥110 yielded a sensitivity/specificity of 89.6%/73.1% and 58.2%/95.5%, respectively. The approach to use multiple cutoffs for the early and late gestational phase enhances the diagnostic accuracy of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio as a diagnostic tool for preeclampsia.</jats:p>
  • Access State: Open Access