Longitudinal circulating placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) concentrations during pregnancy in Asian women: a prospective cohort study

Objectives To analyse the placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) trends in the normal pregnant Asian population in Singapore. Design A prospective study was conducted. Setting The largest tertiary hospital in Singapore. Methods Women with single viable pregnancies, less than 14 weeks of gestation, were recruited between September 2010 and November 2013 in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. They were followed up from recruitment till their postnatal discharge from the hospital. There were four antenatal visits: gestational age (GA) less than 14+0 weeks of gestation (V1), GA 18+0 to 22+0 weeks (V2), GA 28+0 to 32+0 weeks (V3) and GA 34+0 and above (V4). Serum biochemical markers (sFlt-1, PlGF) were measured at each visit. Results There were 934 participants in the study, of which 674 had normal pregnancy outcomes. The sFlt-1 remained relatively constant till GA 28–32 weeks before it increased (p Conclusion There are significant differences in the PlGF and sFlt-1 concentrations during pregnancy between different ethnicities, which should be taken into consideration when using these references values for further research.