The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the maternal serum levels of pregnancy-specific beta-1-glycoprotein 1 (PSG1) and
preeclampsia, and to compare levels of PSG1 in pregnancies with
preeclampsia and uneventful pregnancies. A case-control study was conducted in a research and training hospital. A total of 40 women with
preeclampsia and 42 healthy pregnant women who were gestational age-matched were included. Serum PSG1 levels were measured using
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay. The maternal serum PSG1 levels were significantly lower in patients with
preeclampsia compared with controls (11.60 ± 8.08 vs. 17.58 ± 9.72 ng/mL, p = .003). Circulating PSG1 levels were negatively correlated with age in the
preeclampsia and control groups (r = -0.322, p = .043), (r = -0.430, p = .005). PSG1 levels, age, blood
urea nitrogen levels and
birth weight were significantly associated with high odds of having
preeclampsia. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis confirmed that the area under ROC curve was 0.707 (95% CI: [0.595-0.819], p < .001) for PSG1. The optimal cut-off value of PSG1 for detecting
preeclampsia was ≤ 11.80 ng/mL. There may be a decrease in PSG1 production in
preeclampsia-complicated pregnancies where there are pathologies related to placenta formation. A decline in PSG1 concentrations may reflect placental dysfunction.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Previous studies have reported abnormal pregnancy-specific
glycoprotein (PSG) levels in complicated pregnancies and demonstrated their importance in maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Human PSG homologues have been identified in species with haemochorial placentation such as non-human primates, rats and mice, where foetal cells are in direct contact with the maternal circulation. There are studies in which there is no clear relationship between PSGs and
preeclampsia.What the results of this study add? We have demonstrated that circulating PSG1 levels were significantly lower in women with
preeclampsia than in healthy pregnant women. There may be a decrease in PSG1 production in
preeclampsia-complicated pregnancies where there are pathologies related to placenta formation and function. The results obtained from this current study could be used to clarify the relationship between PSG1 levels and
preeclampsia.What the implications are for clinical practice and/or further research? Evaluation of the role of circulating PSG1 levels in
preeclampsia would be helpful in order to design further studies to determine the feasibility of using PSG1 as a
serum marker to predict the risk of developing
preeclampsia. The screening performance of PSG1 for
preeclampsia is not yet clinically relevant, but may become so when evaluated together with other
placental proteins. This will give a lead to further researches which could focus on the early detection of
preeclampsia with the combination of several
serum markers.