A simple blood test can predict preeclampsia

A study published in Nature Communications reveals new advances in the biological understanding of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including preeclampsia—a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality as well as preterm birth.

Researchers used data from more than 9,000 pregnancies within the multi-center prospective study to discover and validate RNA signatures capable of distinguishing between severe and mild hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, months before symptoms occur.

The paper also validates the predictive performance of a simple blood test to predict preeclampsia early, at 17.5 to 22 weeks gestational age, in pregnancies without any pre-existing high-risk conditions.

“By the time a patient is symptomatic, it’s a race against the clock to try to get the baby to term and not risk the mother’s health,” said Dr. Kara Rood, a maternal-fetal medicine physician, one of the principal investigators of the study, and Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

“Current guidelines are not helping us identify which patients are truly at high risk and we need better tools. This preeclampsia risk prediction test can now improve risk assessment, helping women and their care teams be informed and take actions with the potential to delay the onset of or prevent the disease.”

Despite current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology that use general maternal characteristics to identify pregnant women at increased risk for preeclampsia, rates of the disease have nearly doubled in the last decade and now affect one in 12 pregnancies.

The new blood test uses RNA signatures to resolve this ambiguity, helping pregnant women and their providers focus on the one in four pregnancies that are truly at high risk, ensuring optimal care for the right patients. The results of this study demonstrate that relying on molecular signals from the underlying biology is far more effective in determining whether the risk of preeclampsia is high or low.

Validation results show the simple blood test can identify 91% of pregnancies that will develop preterm preeclampsia in women aged 35+ without pre-existing high-risk conditions, months ahead of symptoms. Those with a low-risk result have a 99.7% probability of not developing preterm preeclampsia. The clinically validated blood test will soon be broadly available under the brand name EncompassTM.

“Over the last 100 years, we have relied on a reactive care model in pregnancy. This study represents a profound opportunity to move toward a proactive care model,” said Dr. Thomas McElrath, vice president of clinical development at Mirvie and a maternal-fetal medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

“Importantly, these results demonstrate for the first time the unique molecular signatures that distinguish between severe and mild hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, giving us confidence in a much more precise and personalized approach for at-risk pregnancies.”

Today, the adherence to known valuable interventions for pregnancies at high risk of preeclampsia such as daily aspirin is less than 50%, even among high-risk patients.

With a simple blood test available early in the second trimester, pregnant patients and care teams can intervene months before symptoms and more confidently implement an evidence-based prevention care plan to improve the chance of a full-term pregnancy and healthy delivery.

“We are thrilled with the results from our investments in this critical research and collaboration with more than a dozen internationally renowned experts in maternal-fetal medicine,” added Maneesh Jain, co-founder and CEO of Mirvie.

“Much like the discovery of molecular subtypes of breast cancer led to improved outcomes, the discovery of molecular subtypes in HDP offers a bright future for personalizing pregnancy care and addressing the rising rates of births with complications.”

Provided by
Mirvie

A study published in Nature Communications reveals new advances in the biological understanding of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including preeclampsia—a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality as well as preterm birth.

Researchers used data from more than 9,000 pregnancies within the multi-center prospective study to discover and validate RNA signatures capable of distinguishing between severe and mild hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, months before symptoms occur.

The paper also validates the predictive performance of a simple blood test to predict preeclampsia early, at 17.5 to 22 weeks gestational age, in pregnancies without any pre-existing high-risk conditions.

“By the time a patient is symptomatic, it’s a race against the clock to try to get the baby to term and not risk the mother’s health,” said Dr. Kara Rood, a maternal-fetal medicine physician, one of the principal investigators of the study, and Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

“Current guidelines are not helping us identify which patients are truly at high risk and we need better tools. This preeclampsia risk prediction test can now improve risk assessment, helping women and their care teams be informed and take actions with the potential to delay the onset of or prevent the disease.”

Despite current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology that use general maternal characteristics to identify pregnant women at increased risk for preeclampsia, rates of the disease have nearly doubled in the last decade and now affect one in 12 pregnancies.

The new blood test uses RNA signatures to resolve this ambiguity, helping pregnant women and their providers focus on the one in four pregnancies that are truly at high risk, ensuring optimal care for the right patients. The results of this study demonstrate that relying on molecular signals from the underlying biology is far more effective in determining whether the risk of preeclampsia is high or low.

Validation results show the simple blood test can identify 91% of pregnancies that will develop preterm preeclampsia in women aged 35+ without pre-existing high-risk conditions, months ahead of symptoms. Those with a low-risk result have a 99.7% probability of not developing preterm preeclampsia. The clinically validated blood test will soon be broadly available under the brand name EncompassTM.

“Over the last 100 years, we have relied on a reactive care model in pregnancy. This study represents a profound opportunity to move toward a proactive care model,” said Dr. Thomas McElrath, vice president of clinical development at Mirvie and a maternal-fetal medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

“Importantly, these results demonstrate for the first time the unique molecular signatures that distinguish between severe and mild hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, giving us confidence in a much more precise and personalized approach for at-risk pregnancies.”

Today, the adherence to known valuable interventions for pregnancies at high risk of preeclampsia such as daily aspirin is less than 50%, even among high-risk patients.

With a simple blood test available early in the second trimester, pregnant patients and care teams can intervene months before symptoms and more confidently implement an evidence-based prevention care plan to improve the chance of a full-term pregnancy and healthy delivery.

“We are thrilled with the results from our investments in this critical research and collaboration with more than a dozen internationally renowned experts in maternal-fetal medicine,” added Maneesh Jain, co-founder and CEO of Mirvie.

“Much like the discovery of molecular subtypes of breast cancer led to improved outcomes, the discovery of molecular subtypes in HDP offers a bright future for personalizing pregnancy care and addressing the rising rates of births with complications.”

Provided by
Mirvie