Plasma hepatocyte growth factor as a marker for small-for-gestational age fetuses.

Objective: To study the association between hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels and pregnancy outcome.

Study Design: Hepatocyte growth factor levels were measured in 42 plasma samples between weeks 14 and 21 of gestation using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results were correlated to pregnancy outcome and Mann-Whitney U-test applied to study the differences.

Results: Hepatocyte growth factor values in pregnancies that develop preeclampsia (n=12) were not significantly different from unaffected pregnancies (n=21, multiples of the median (MoM)=1.38, P=0.47). However, hepatocyte growth factor values were significantly elevated in pregnancies of small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetuses (n=9) compared to uncomplicated pregnancies (MoM=2.66, P<0.001).

Conclusion: Measurement of hepatocyte growth factor in peripheral blood between 14 and 21 weeks gestation may offer new possibilities in the early diagnosis and prediction of fetal birth weight but not of preeclampsia.