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The following is a summary of “Association between serum sFlt-1, PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in singleton pregnancy and placental abruption: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the April 2025 issue of American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology by Kosińska-Kaczyńska et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine if women with singleton pregnancies who later developed placental abruption had lower serum placental growth factor (PlGF) levels, higher soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) levels, and elevated sFlt-1/(PlGF) ratio compared to those without abruption.  

They electronically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to March 2025 using relevant Medical Subject Headings, keywords, and variants (databases searched until March 2025) and compared serum PlGF, sFlt-1, and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio between individuals with and without placental abruption (outcome measures). The study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and calculated continuous outcomes as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals, applying a random effects model throughout the meta-analysis.  

The results showed that maternal serum PlGF levels did not significantly differ between individuals with and without placental abruption (maternal serum PlGF concentration). The serum sFlt-1 concentration was elevated in placental abruption cases, particularly in the second half of gestation (maternal serum sFlt-1 concentration). The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio was higher in both early and late pregnancy among those with placental abruption, but this difference was not significant when preeclampsia symptoms or diagnosis were present (maternal serum sFlt-1/PlGF ratio).  

Investigators concluded that the findings had the potential to enhance risk stratification for placental abruption and that understanding the alterations of the examined markers in this condition could contribute to the development of clinical guidelines, particularly for prediction models of this complication. 

Source: ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(25)00227-3/fulltext