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Diagnostic accuracy of the soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio for preeclampsia: a meta-analysis based on 20 studies

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the accuracy of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1(sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio to predict preeclampsia (PE).

Methods

A search in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library was conducted for human studies without language restriction. We included the studies reported sufficient data to reconstruct the diagnostic 2 × 2 table of sFlt-1/PlGF with testing of PlGF and sFlt-1 in serum or plasma. Two reviewers independently screened the articles. Disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. Unpublished data were requested from the authors of the study by email.

Results

Twenty studies with 28 groups of women with different gestational ages were included in our study. The pooled diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of sFlt-1/PlGF were 0.78 and 0.84 with the area under the SROC curve (AUC) of 0.88. In subgroup analyses, the diagnostic value of sFlt-1/PlGF for early-onset PE is highest with a pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 241 and AUC of 0.98.

Conclusions

The accuracy of sFlt-1/PlGF ratio for screening PE was moderate and was high for early-onset PE. High-quality studies are needed to confirm their usefulness in prediction of PE in clinical practice.

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Acknowledgments

We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service, and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled “Diagnostic Accuracy of the Soluble Fms-like Tyrosine Kinase-1/Placental Growth Factor Ratio for Preeclampsia: a Meta-analysis based on 20 Studies.” We have full control of all primary data and we agree to allow the Journal to review our data if requested.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

    Yuxiu Liu

  2. Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

    Yang Zhao & Haitao Niu

  3. Department of Obstetrics, Weifang Maternal and Children Hospital, Weifang, China

    Ailing Yu

  4. Department of Breast Cancer, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

    Bin Zhao

  5. President’s Office, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No.16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266001, China

    Yufang Gao

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  1. Yuxiu Liu
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  3. Ailing Yu
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Correspondence to Yufang Gao or Haitao Niu.

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Y. Liu and Y. Zhao contributed equally to this work.

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Liu, Y., Zhao, Y., Yu, A. et al. Diagnostic accuracy of the soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio for preeclampsia: a meta-analysis based on 20 studies. Arch Gynecol Obstet 292, 507–518 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3671-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-015-3671-8

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