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                            J Ultrasound Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2014 September 01.
                           Published in final edited form as:
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                           Abstract
                                Objective—To estimate the efficiency of first-trimester uterine artery Doppler, A-disintegrin and
                                metalloprotease 12 (ADAM12), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and maternal
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                                Conclusion—First-trimester ADAM12, PAPP-A, and uterine artery Doppler are not sufficiently
                                predictive of pre-eclampsia. Combinations of these parameters do not further improve their
                                screening efficiency.
                           Keywords
                                ADAM12; PAPP-A; placental dysfunction; pre-eclampsia; uterine artery Doppler
                           Introduction
                                            Pre-eclampsia affects 5-8% of pregnancies and remains a significant contributor to perinatal
                                            morbidity and mortality worldwide.1,2 Abnormal invasion of the placental trophoblast into
                           Corresponding Author: Katherine R. Goetzinger, M.D., M.S.C.I. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Washington University
                           School of Medicine 4911 Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza Campus Box 8064 St. Louis, MO 63110 Phone: 314-362-8895; Fax:
                           314-747-1720 goetzingerk@wudosis.wustl.edu.
                           GOETZINGER et al.                                                                                               Page 2
                                               the maternal spiral arterioles, as early as the first trimester, is the proposed pathophysiologic
                                               mechanism for the development of this disorder. This abnormal placentation results in a
                                               high resistance uteroplacental circulation bed and persistent placental underperfusion,
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                                               The use of biochemical and ultrasound parameters to detect these pathologic changes and
                                               identify patients at high risk for developing pre-eclampsia has been an area of intense
                                               research focus over recent years. Prior studies have demonstrated an association between
                                               low levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), a serum analyte routinely
                                               measured as part of first-trimester aneuploidy screening, and the subsequent development of
                                               pre-eclampsia later in pregnancy. However, PAPP-A alone has demonstrated only a modest
                                               predictive efficiency for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-eclampsia.3-6 More
                                               recent studies have evaluated the association between low levels of a novel serum analyte, A
                                               Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 12 (ADAM12), and pre-eclampsia and have produced
                                               conflicting results.7-9 These studies mainly have been limited to case-control designs
                                               performed in populations with a low prevalence of preeclampsia, and, therefore, may be
                                               subject to bias. Additionally, these studies have primarily been conducted in low risk
                                               populations, thereby precluding a rigorous evaluation of maternal risk factors which may
                                               increase the screening efficiency of these biomarkers. Finally, uterine artery Doppler studies
                                               have been proposed as a screening tool to detect increased vascular resistance in patients
                                               destined to develop pre-eclampsia, with reported sensitivites ranging from 7-80% when
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                                               The objective of this study was to estimate the efficiency of first-trimester ADAM12, PAPP-
                                               A, uterine artery Doppler and maternal characteristics, both individually and in combination,
                                               in the prediction of pre-eclampsia. We hypothesize that a combination of these first-
                                               trimester parameters, in addition to maternal clinical risk factors, may allow for more
                                               accurate identification of women at risk. Although there is currently no known effective
                                               strategy for the prevention of pre-eclampsia, the ability to predict patients at high risk of
                                               developing this disorder not only may provide an opportunity to impact pregnancy
                                               management but may also provide an opportunity to identify an enriched population of
                                               patients who can serve as target subjects for future intervention studies.
review board approval was obtained, and all patients provided written, informed consent.
                                               All consecutive eligible patients were approached for participation in the study at the time of
                                               ultrasound exam. Standard of care for first-trimester aneuploidy screening at our institution
                                               includes a measurement of fetal crown-rump length to confirm pregnancy dating (within ±7
                                               days from menstrual dating), nuchal translucency measurement, and serum measurement of
                                               PAPP-A and free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG). Serum measurements of both
                                               PAPP-A and free β-hCG are routinely performed by Perkin Elmer laboratories (Melville,
                                               NY) for all samples collected at our institution. Patients who consented to study
                                               participation provided an additional 10ml of blood which was used to measure ADAM12
                                               concentration. Maternal blood was collected into non-heparinized tubes and centrifuged at
                                               1500 g for 15 minutes. Maternal serum was then extracted and stored at -80° C until
                                               analyzed. A 25μl aliquot of maternal serum was used to determine ADAM12 concentration
                                               through a time-resolved fluorescent immuno-assay, in which the concentration of ADAM12
                                               Patients who consented to the study also underwent bilateral uterine artery Doppler
                                               assessment. This assessment was performed using a transabdominal approach with color
                                               flow mapping. A mid-sagittal view of the uterus was obtained and the cervical canal
                                               identified. The transducer was then rotated until the paracervical vessels were identified.
                                               Each uterine artery was then isolated, and the pulsatility index (PI) measured and averaged.
                                               These measurements were also converted into MoMs, adjusted for gestational age. All
                                               participating sonographers were certified by the Fetal Medicine Foundation for first-
                                               trimester Doppler measurements.
                                               Maternal demographics, past medical history, and obstetrical history were obtained through
                                               a detailed questionnaire routinely administered at the time of all initial ultrasound exams in
                                               our unit. Delivery outcome information was obtained through electronic medical record
                                               review by a dedicated nurse coordinator. Patients who delivered outside of our institution
                                               signed a consent for release of medical records at the time of study enrollment.
                                               The primary outcome for this study was pre-eclampsia defined as systolic blood pressure
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                                               >140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg on at least two occasions separated by
                                               at least 4 hours in the presence of proteinuria (≥0.3 grams in a 24 hour specimen or ≥1+
                                               protein on urine dipstick) after 20 weeks’ gestation. Secondary outcomes included early pre-
                                               eclampsia, defined as pre-eclampsia requiring delivery <34 weeks, and gestational
                                               hypertension (HTN), defined as blood pressure >140/90 mmHg in the absence of proteinuria
                                               after 20 weeks’ gestation.1,16
                                               Baseline maternal characteristics as well as ADAM12, PAPP-A, and uterine artery PI MoMs
                                               were compared between patients who developed pre-eclampsia and those who did not.
                                               Categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and continuous variables were
                                               compared using the independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U test, as appropriate.
                                               Normality of distribution was evaluated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Logistic
                                               regression was then used to model the prediction of pre-eclampsia incorporating various
                                               combinations of first-trimester parameters as well as maternal factors identified as
                                               significant in the univariate analysis. There was no evidence of collinearity between the
                                               first-trimester parameters and maternal characteristics of interest, thereby justifying their
                                               inclusion together in the various models. Receiver-operating characteristic curves (ROC)
                                               were generated for each model, and the area under the curve (AUC) was compared between
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                                               each model using non-parametric U statistics. Sensitivity and specificity at both 10% and
                                               20% fixed false positive rates (FPR) were also calculated for each model. P-values <0.05
                                               were considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed using
                                               STATA 12, Special Edition (College Station, TX).
                                               Since the focus of this study was on the development of a highly sensitive prediction model
                                               for pre-eclampsia, the precision of our sample size estimates was based on the ½ width of
                                               the 95% confidence interval and the incidence of pre-eclampsia in our patient population.
                                               With these assumptions, our study was powered to produce a prediction model with a 70%
                                               (95% CI 57-83) sensitivity for pre-eclampsia and a 90% sensitivity (95% CI 75-100) for
                                               early preeclampsia.
                             Results
                                               Of 618 patients enrolled, 13 were lost to follow up and 3 withdrew from the study before
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                                               completion. After excluding patients who underwent spontaneous abortion (n=8), elective
                                               abortion (n=1), and those with incomplete outcome information (n=15), 578 patients were
                                               available for analysis, comprising our final study cohort. Of these patients, 54 (9.3%)
                                               developed pre-eclampsia, 13 (2.2%) developed early pre-eclampsia, and 55 (9.5%)
                                               developed gestational HTN. The mean gestational age at the time of ultrasound and study
                                               enrollment was 12.1 ± 0.6 weeks. Compared to patients who did not develop pre-eclampsia,
                                               patients who went on to develop pre-eclampsia were more likely to be African American,
                                               have a higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and have a higher incidence of both
                                               chronic HTN and pre-gestational diabetes. (Table 1)
                                               Patients who developed pre-eclampsia had significantly lower ADAM12 levels (0.81 vs.
                                               1.01; p=0.04) and PAPP-A levels (0.88 vs. 1.18, p<0.001) compared to controls; however,
                                               there was no significant difference in uterine artery Doppler PI levels in pre-eclamptic
                                               patients compared to controls (1.00 vs. 0.99, p=0.77). There was no significant difference in
                                               ADAM12, PAPP-A, or uterine artery Doppler PI levels when comparing patients who
                                               developed early preeclampsia or gestational HTN compared to those who did not. (Table 2)
                                               Individually, ADAM12, PAPP-A, and uterine artery Dopplers were not sufficiently
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                                               Similar results were observed for the prediction of early pre-eclampsia and gestational HTN.
                                               ADAM12, PAPP-A and uterine artery Doppler alone were not predictive for the
                                               development of early pre-eclampsia or gestational HTN. Combining these parameters with
                                               maternal risk factors did improve the predictive efficiencies; however, models containing
                                               the first-trimester parameters did not differ significantly from those containing maternal
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                                               characteristics alone. The best overall predictive efficiency for early pre-eclampsia was
                                               observed with the combination of maternal characteristics, ADAM12 and PAPP-A with an
                                               AUC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.63-0.93) and sensitivities of 54% and 62% at 10% and 20% FPR,
                                               respectively. (Table 4) The best overall predictive efficiency for gestational HTN was
                                               observed with the combination of maternal characteristics, ADAM12, PAPP-A and uterine
                                               artery Doppler with an AUC of 0.66 (95% CI 0.58-0.74) and sensitivities of 15% and 28% at
                                               10% and 20% FPR, respectively. (Table 5) The only significant independent predictor of
                                               early pre-eclampsia in this model was a maternal history of chronic hypertension.
                                               In order to evaluate the predictive indices of our model, we created two hypothetical
                                               populations, one with a low prevalence of disease (1%) and one with a high prevalence of
                                               disease (10%). Using the calculated sensitivities of our models at a 10% FPR, positive
                                               (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were estimated for our models containing
                                               maternal characteristics alone as well as the combination of maternal characteristics with
                                               ADAM12 levels, PAPP-A levels, and uterine artery Doppler. For the outcome of pre-
                                               eclampsia, the PPV and NPV were 4.8% and 99.4%, respectively, in the low prevalence
                                               population and 35.7% and 94.2%, respectively, in the high prevalence population for
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                                               maternal characteristics alone. For the outcome of early pre-eclampsia, the PPV and NPV
                                               were 5.3% and 99.5% in the low prevalence population and 37.9% and 94.7% in the high
                                               prevalence population for maternal characteristics alone. Finally, for the outcome of
                                               gestational hypertension, the PPV and NPV were 1.5% and 99.0% in the low prevalence
                                               population and 14.3% and 90.5% in the high prevalence population for maternal
                                               characteristics alone. When evaluating the models containing the combination of maternal
                                               characteristics and first-trimester markers of placental dysfunction, the predictive indices
                                               were identical to the models containing maternal characteristics alone.
                             Discussion
                                               Findings from our prospective cohort demonstrate that both ADAM12 and PAPP-A levels
                                               are significantly reduced in patients who develop pre-eclampsia. Similar to PAPP-A,
                                               ADAM12 is a protease for insulin growth factor (IGF) binding proteins. Low levels of this
                                               analyte reflect an increased amount of IGF in the bound state which is then unavailable to
                                               promote placental growth and development, making this finding biologically plausible.17,18
                                               However, despite these associations, the predictive efficiency of ADAM12 and PAPP-A was
                                               overall modest and not sufficient for clinical use. In fact, our findings suggest that maternal
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                                               characteristics alone actually demonstrate superior test performance characteristics for the
                                               prediction of pre-eclampsia which are not enhanced by the addition of these first-trimester
                                               markers, either individually or in combination.
                                               Prior studies have been conflicting regarding the role of ADAM12 in the prediction of pre-
                                               eclampsia. Both Laigaard et al. and Spencer et al. demonstrated decreased serum
                                               concentrations of ADAM12 in the first-trimester in women who went on to develop
                                               preeclampsia.7,8 Consistent with our results, Spencer et al. also demonstrated only a modest
                                               predictive efficiency of ADAM12 for pre-eclampsia with an AUC of 0.694 for ADAM12
                                               alone and an AUC of 0.714 when ADAM12 and PAPP-A were combined.8 Alternatively,
                                               Poon et al. found that first-trimester ADAM12 levels were not significantly lower in patients
                                               who developed pre-eclampsia compared to controls.9 They attributed these negative findings
                                               to a priori adjustment of ADAM12 levels for race and maternal weight. When these
                                               maternal characteristics were evaluated in our population, we found no relationship between
                                               ADAM12 and maternal race. While there was a modest correlation between ADAM12
                                               levels and maternal weight, we adjusted for this factor in our prediction model as an
                                               established maternal clinical risk factor for pre-eclampsia.
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                                               Our study did not demonstrate any significant difference in uterine artery PI measurements
                                               between pre-eclamptic and control patients. Given that maximal trophoblast invasion occurs
                                               during the first-trimester, it would seem justified that enhanced vascular resistance in the
                                               uterine arteries would be detectable at this early stage of gestation in patients with impaired
                                               placentation.19 Recently, Parra-Cordero et al. demonstrated a significant increase in first-
                                               trimester uterine artery Doppler PI in patients who developed both early-onset and late-onset
                                               pre-eclampsia compared to controls. In this study, the sensitivity of maternal history plus
                                               uterine artery Doppler for detecting early-onset and late-onset pre-eclampsia were 43.8%
                                               and 28.3%, respectively, at a 10% FPR.20 While our study did not demonstrate a significant
                                               difference in absolute uterine artery PI values, the sensitivity of maternal characteristics and
                                               uterine artery Doppler were similar to that observed by Parra-Cordero et al. at 54% and
                                               52%, respectively, at a 10% FPR. Again, this finding suggests that the predictive value of
                                               these first-trimester parameters may be primarily driven by the contribution of maternal
                                               characteristics alone. Additionally, Poon et al. demonstrated that first-trimester uterine
                                               artery Doppler studies were significantly increased in patients who developed hypertensive
                                               disorders later in pregnancy.21 Differences between these studies and our study may be due
                                               to the varying criteria which was used to define an abnormal uterine artery Doppler PI. Both
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                                               of the above-mentioned studies measured the right and left uterine artery PI and used the
                                               lowest recorded value in their analysis. Alternatively, our study used the average value of
                                               the right and left uterine artery PI measurements, a technique which has been previously
                                               described.12,14 We believe that this average value is more representative of overall placental
                                               perfusion. This discrepancy between studies further supports the claim that first-trimester
                                               uterine artery Doppler may not be a reliable predictor of pre-eclampsia, as we would have
                                               expected to observe more consistent results across studies regardless of the criteria used to
                                               define an abnormal value. Furthermore, differences in study populations as well as
                                               variability in the maternal factors included in the prediction models may also account for
                                               some of the discrepancy observed between studies.
                                               Strengths of our study include its prospective cohort design and low loss to follow up rate.
                                               This study design allowed us to ensure that our unaffected patients were derived from the
                                               same population as our affected patients, thereby eliminating the bias which is often
                                               introduced in case-control studies through the process by which controls patients are
                                               selected. Additionally, given that our study was performed in a tertiary referral center, there
                                               was adequate representation of maternal co-morbidities which could then be rigorously
                                               evaluated as maternal risk factors for the development of pre-eclampsia. Our study is not
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                                               without limitations. Despite our large cohort, the small number of early pre-eclampsia cases
                                               (n=13) left us under-powered to thoroughly evaluate this outcome. Additionally, while we
                                               did adjust for gestational age, we did not perform a priori adjustment of ADAM12 levels for
                                               other maternal characteristics. However, data in the literature as well as in our own
                                               population has been conflicting as to which factors truly have a significant effect on this
                                               analyte. Given that these proposed adjustment factors are also well-established risk factors
                                               for pre-eclampsia, we instead took the approach of controlling for these factors in our
                                               prediction model in order to provide a more individualized risk assessment based on
                                               maternal characteristics and history. Furthermore, our medical center is a high-risk, tertiary
                                               referral center which likely contributes to the high prevalence of preeclampsia in our study
                                               population; however, this high prevalence of pre-eclampsia should not affect the overall
                                               accuracy of our prediction model, given that sensitivity and specificity are independent of
                                               prevalence. Finally, the methods used in this study are aimed at population-based screening
                                               for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. These risk factors may still play a significant role in
                                               individualized patient risk assessment and counseling.
                                               In conclusion, our study demonstrates that while first-trimester ADAM12 and PAPP-A
                                               levels are significantly reduced in patients who develop pre-eclampsia, the predictive
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                                               efficiency of these first-trimester serum markers as well as uterine artery Doppler studies,
                                               both individually and in combination, are not superior to that achieved by maternal
                                               characteristics alone. Continued investigation into novel serum and ultrasound markers of
                                               placental dysfunction is warranted in order to more accurately identify this high risk
                                               population.
                             Acknowledgments
                                               1. This paper was presented as an oral presentation at the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine 2012
                                               Annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona on March 31, 2012 and was the winner of the New Investigator Award in
                                               Clinical Ultrasound.
                                               2. Dr. Goetzinger is supported by a training grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child
                                               Health and Human Development (5 T32 HD055172) and from a NIH/NCRR/NCATS Washington University ICTS
                                               grant (UL1 RR024992). The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not
                                               necessarily represent the official view of the NCRR, NIH, or NCATS.
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                                                                                          Table 1
                           Baseline maternal characteristics and obstetrical history
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                                                           Pre-Eclampsia    Control
                                                                                         p-value
                                                               (n=54)       (n=518)
Race
                           *
                            Data expressed as mean ± standard deviation
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                                                                                            Table 2
                           Comparison of First-Trimester Marker Levels Between Study Groups
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Pre-Eclampsia
                                                      Pre-Eclampsia          Control
                               Marker                                                    p-value
                                                          (n=54)             (n=518)
                                                            0.81               1.01
                               ADAM12 MoM                                                 0.04
                                                        (0.61-1.30)        (0.74-1.36)
                                                            0.88               1.18
                               PAPP-A MoM                                                <0.001
                                                        (0.62-1.27)        (0.60-1.63)
Early Pre-Eclampsia
                                                            1.02               1.14
                               PAPP-A MoM                                                 0.55
                                                        (0.73-1.53)        (0.76-1.58)
Gestational HTN
                                                            1.18               1.13
                               PAPP-A MoM                                                 0.51
                                                        (0.82-1.73)        (0.76-1.58)
                           *
                            Data expressed as medians and interquartile ranges
                           *
                            HTN=hypertension; MoM=multiples of the median
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                                                                                               Table 3
                           Predictive Efficiency of First-Trimester Parameters for Pre-Eclampsia
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                           *
                            Maternal characteristics: African American race, body mass index, history of chronic hypertension, history of pre-gestational diabetes
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                                                                                              Table 4
                           Predictive Efficiency of First-Trimester Parameters for Early Pre-Eclampsia
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                           *
                            Maternal characteristics: African American race and history of chronic hypertension
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                                                                                            Table 5
                           Predictive Efficiency of First-Trimester Parameters for Gestational Hypertension
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                           *
                            Maternal characteristics: African American race and body mass index
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