Glycosylated Fibronectin Point-of-care Test for Triage and Surveillance of Hypertension in Pregnancy Cases: A Retrospective Observational Case Control Study.

Purpose of the Study: To evaluate the usefulness of glycosylated fibronectin (GlyFn) as point-of-care (POC) test for triaging and managing hypertension cases in pregnancy. Materials and
Methods: It is a retrospective case control study done in 51 cases of hypertension (HTN) and pre-eclampsia (PE) where patients with GlyFn levels more than 350 μg/ml were included in the study group and GlyFn less than 350 μg/ml were included in the control group. Maternal and fetal outcomes were evaluated and compared.
Results: Maternal and fetal morbidity leading to delivery within 10 days of testing (p value-0.0035, 95% CI 4.05 to 19.13) and worsening of Dopplers (p value-0.0031) is significantly high in study group. Gestational age (Mean 35 weeks vs. 32 weeks, p value of 0.0008, 95% CI 1.31-4.65) and birth weight (Mean 2.2 kg vs. 1.48 kg, p value 0.0009 95% CI 0.32 to 1.16) are significantly less in the study group despite there is no difference in the gestational age at testing (Mean 32.25 weeks vs. 30.9 weeks, p value 0.203, 95% CI - 0.75 to 3.42). Abnormal PE laboratory parameters (PE profile) are seen only in the study group and none in the control group (p value 0.015).
Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that in pregnant women with hypertension, glycosylated fibronectin is useful for predicting maternal and fetal morbidity occurring within 10 days of testing. In low-resource settings, it will be a useful cost-effective tool for appropriate triage and improved outcomes. © Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India 2021.