Association between placental growth factor levels and maternal hypothyroidism at 11–13 weeks of gestation: A hospital-based cross-sectional study (single center) in Vietnam
Keywords:
placental growth factor, thyroid function, pregnancy, hypothyroidism, VietnamAbstract
Background and aim: This study aimed to evaluate the association between maternal placental growth factor (PlGF) levels and thyroid function (FT₄ and TSH), and to assess whether elevated PlGF is associated with hypothyroidism during early pregnancy.
Methods: This hospital-based, single-center, cross-sectional study was conducted at Hung Vuong Hospital, Vietnam, from February to May 2025. A total of 213 pregnant women between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation were enrolled. Hypothyroidism was defined according to the 2017 American Thyroid Association guidelines, including both overt and subclinical hypothyroidism. Marginal effects were estimated and visualized to assess the association between PlGF levels, thyroid hormone concentrations, and the probability of hypothyroidism.
Results: The median maternal age was 32 years. Median PlGF, FT₄, and TSH concentrations were 50.5 pg/mL, 1.10 ng/dL, and 1.05 mIU/L, respectively. The prevalence of hypothyroidism among pregnant women was 10.3%. PlGF was inversely associated with FT₄ concentrations but showed no significant association with TSH. PlGF levels above the 97.5th percentile were associated with a 7.3-fold higher odds of hypothyroidism (95% CI, 1.03–51.4) after adjustment for gestational age, parity, obesity, and education level.
Conclusions: These findings suggest a potential association between placental angiogenic activity and maternal thyroid function, particularly involving FT₄. Extremely elevated PlGF concentrations may be associated with thyroid dysfunction and could potentially serve as a novel biomarker for early risk identification or screening.
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