Early detection of decreased soluble HLA-G levels in the maternal circulation predicts the occurrence of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation during further course of pregnancy.

PROBLEM: Soluble (s) HLA-G1/G5 molecules may potentially affect immune homeostasis during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine changes of sHLA-G1/G5 plasma levels throughout normal pregnancy and to assess its predictive value for the occurrence of characteristic gestation-associated diseases during further course of pregnancy. METHOD OF STUDY: sHLA-G1/G5 levels were estimated in plasma samples of 40 non-pregnant women, 291 women throughout normal pregnancy and 236 women affected by different complications.
RESULTS: In comparison with non-pregnant women sHLA-G1/G5 levels strongly increased during the first trimenon and then decreased continuously toward term. Non-parametric discriminant analysis showed that women with significantly decreased sHLA-G1/G5 levels in the second trimenon had an increased risk of developing preeclampsia and/or intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) during further course of pregnancy. However, in the third trimenon, sHLA-G1/G5 levels in affected women did not deviate significantly from those of non-affected women. Surprisingly, significantly increased sHLA-G1/G5 levels were detected in third trimenon women with uncontrollable preterm labor, but not in women with prolonged preterm rupture of fetal membranes.
CONCLUSION: For the identification of women with an increased risk of IUGR and/or preeclampsia, measurement of sHLA-G1/G5 plasma levels may be a powerful new tool in prenatal diagnostics.