Profilin-1 levels in preeclampsia: Associations with disease and adverse neonatal outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication requiring early detection to improve outcomes. Profilin-1 (PFN1), linked to vascular dysfunction, may serve as a biomarker for diagnosing preeclampsia and predicting adverse neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the serum Profilin-1 levels in patients diagnosed with preeclampsia and to investigate its association with disease severity and adverse neonatal outcomes.

METHODS

A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Etlik City Hospital involving 40 women with preeclampsia and 40 healthy controls. Serum PFN1 levels were measured by ELISA and results were compared between groups. The results were compared between the groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of PFN1.

RESULTS

Serum PFN1 levels were significantly higher in the preeclampsia group compared to controls (46.48 [30.23-60.29] vs. 26.41 [19.65-41.76], p < 0.001). The ROC curve showed good diagnostic accuracy for PFN1 in detecting preeclampsia with an AUC of 0.741 (95 % CI: 0.631-0.832, p < 0.001), a sensitivity of 95 % and a specificity of 42.5 %. PFN1 levels were also associated with composite neonatal outcomes, with an AUC of 0.622 (95 % CI: 0.520-0.716, p = 0.042).

DISCUSSION

PFN1 is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of preeclampsia. However, further studies are needed to validate its role in predicting adverse neonatal outcomes and to improve its specificity for clinical use.