Pentraxin-3 linked to pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome

Plasma levels of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) are linked to pre-eclampsia and the HELLP* syndrome, reports a recent study.

Researchers performed a case-control study of women with pre-eclampsia (n=368) and both pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome (n=195), using a quantitative enzyme immunoassay to measure plasma levels of PTX3. Readings were compared with that of women with healthy pregnancies at term (n=461), who were designated as controls.

Through multinomial logistic regression analysis, researchers found a significant log-linear interaction between PTX3 and the risk of both pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Each unit increase in PTX3, for instance, led to a 6-percent jump in the likelihood of pre-eclampsia (odds ratio [OR], 1.06, 96 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.10; p<0.001).

The effect was stronger for HELLP syndrome risk, which saw a 13-percent increase for each unit increment in PTX3 (OR, 1.13, 95 percent CI, 1.08–1.18; p<0.001).

Maternal and gestational age were found to be the strongest confounders of these interactions, and the risk estimates remained significant even after controlling for them. Multiple pregnancies, body mass index, socioeconomic status, and smoking were also confounders.

The researchers also saw that PTX3 levels remained a significant factor for pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome regardless of their time of onset.

“Further longitudinal studies and Mendelian randomization analyses would bring more insight into the role of PTX3 in pre-eclampsia,” they said.

*Haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count.