In our Pregnostic^®-PE program we are developing products that will contribute to determine the risk for pre-eclampsia and can be used to discriminate early-onset and late-onset pre-eclampsia. Most likely these products will be based on two or more (new) markers.

The first marker we investigated is the pro-angiogenic marker, ESM-1. Research of IQ Products’ Research and Development, in cooperation with the University Medical Center Groningen (Groningen, The Netherlands) has shown that at week twelve of gestation this marker is low in those pregnancies that will develop early-onset pre-eclampsia and shows normal values in healthy or late-onset pre-eclampsia pregnancies. During both early-onset and late-onset pre-eclampsia the marker is upregulated compared to uncomplicated pregnancies. These findings have been published in April 2018 in Pregnancy Hypertension.

The ELISA based Pregnostic^®-PE Ip is meant to determine ESM-1 (EDTA) plasma levels during pregnancy and to be used for research purposes only. Since the marker shows already degradation in the first hours after draw in serum samples it is important to use the correct assay in combination with the correct plasma samples.