Identifying late-onset fetal growth restriction by measuring circulating placental RNA in the maternal blood at 28 weeks' gestation

Abstract

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. OBJECTIVE: Measuring RNA circulating in the maternal blood may provide a noninvasive insight into placental function. We examined whether measuring RNA in the maternal blood at 26-30 weeks' gestation can identify pregnancies at risk of late-onset FGR. We focused on RNA highly expressed in placenta, which we termed "placental-specific genes." STUDY DESIGN: This was a case-control study nested within a prospective cohort of 600 women recruited at 26-30 weeks' gestation. The circulating placental transcriptome in maternal blood was compared between women with late-onset FGR ( 36+6 weeks) and gestation-matched well-grown controls (20-95th cent..