The purpose of this study was to analyze whether maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF) could predict early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks of gestation) in overweight/obese pregnant women, and whether it could do it more effectively than in normal/underweight pregnant women. A prospective cohort study was conducted on 1678 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies, who were grouped as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese on the basis of body mass index, followed by serum PlGF estimation at 20 to 22 weeks of gestation. A cut-off value of <144 pg/mL for PlGF was determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis to identify risk of early onset preeclampsia. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed significantly stronger association between PlGF <144 pg/mL and early onset preeclampsia in overweight/obese pregnant women (odds ratio 7.64; 95% confidence interval 5.34-10.12; P = .000) than in normal/underweight pregnant women (odds ratio 2.95; 95% confidence interval 1.74-4.26; P = .007). Weight and PlGF levels in study women had a significant negative correlation (r = 0.663; P = .002). Serum PlGF in early second trimester could be an effective predictor of early onset preeclampsia in overweight/obese pregnant women and may be more effective than in normal/underweight pregnant women.
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