¿Es el factor de crecimiento nervioso (NGF) un marcador útil durante el embarazo para la predicción de preeclampsia precoz?

Preeclampsia is one of the major causes of maternal and perinatal death, mainly in the severe early-onset presentation. Second trimester uterine artery Doppler has been demonstrated to be the most sensitive isolated predictive marker of early-onset preeclampsia. However, consistent evidence demonstrated that preventive therapies (aspirin or antioxidants) are not useful during mid-gestation. First trimester uterine artery Doppler has lower sensitivities for severe preeclampsia than second trimester measurement, but by performing a combined predictive model (uterine artery Doppler, biochemical angiogenic markers such as Placental Growth Factor, mean arterial blood pressure and maternal history) the sensitivity is significantly improved. Moreover, recent meta-analysis demonstrated that preventive therapies such as aspirin are useful only when begins before 16 weeks. The Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is a member of the neurotrophin family with an important role in the development of cholinergic neurons. Recent studies demonstrated that NGF is a potent angiogenic factor in non-neurologic tissues. Patients with preeclampsia demonstrated decreased plasma levels of NGF immediately before delivery. The aim of this review is to evaluate the potential role of NGF as a biochemical marker of altered angiogenesis during pregnancy for prediction of early-onset preeclampsia