A study found that pregnant women who later develop pre‑eclampsia have lower levels of the peptide kisspeptin‑10 (also called metastin) and placental growth factor, and higher activity of an enzyme called chitotriosidase, already in the first trimester. These differences could help doctors spot the risk early, but the research doesn’t suggest any new treatment or supplement for the general public.

To investigate whether the serum levels of metastin and PIGF and chitotriosidase activity early in pregnancy differ in women who develop pre-eclampsia from those who remain normotensive. A retrospective case-control study of prospectively collected data. Thirty healthy pregnant women and 31 women with pre-eclampsia were included in the study. Serum samples were collected at 11-14 weeks and stored at -70°C. Levels of metastin, PIGF and chitotriosidase activity were measured in serum from pregnant women with subsequent development of pre-eclampsia and matched controls. Mean maternal serum metastin (1554 ± 385 pmol/L vs 1995 ± 375 pmol/L, p<0.001) and PIGF (111.9 ± 7.0 pg/mL vs 124.9 ± 3.5 pg/mL, p<0.001) levels were significantly lower and chitotriosidase activity was significantly higher (681.6 ± 248.3 nmol/mL/h vs 527.7 ± 223.1 nmol/mL/h, p<0.01) in women who subsequently developed pre-eclampsia than in those who remained normotensive. The areas under the curve equal to 0.797, 0.831 and 0.681 (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p<0.01) for metastin, PIGF, and chitotriosidase respectively were determined for the prediction of pre-eclampsia. Metastin and PIGF levels and chitotriosidase activity are altered in the first trimester serum of women destined to become pre-eclamptic, reflecting placental dysfunction. Metastin, like PIGF, may have a potential to be used as a first-trimester biomarker of pre-eclampsia.