Planned early delivery or expectant management for late preterm pre-eclampsia (PHOENIX): a randomised controlled trial

© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license Background: In women with late preterm pre-eclampsia, the optimal time to initiate delivery is unclear because limitation of maternal disease progression needs to be balanced against infant complications. The aim of this trial was to determine whether planned earlier initiation of delivery reduces maternal adverse outcomes without substantial worsening of neonatal or infant outcomes, compared with expectant management (usual care) in women with late preterm pre-eclampsia. Methods: In this parallel-group, non-masked, multicentre, randomised controlled trial done in 46 maternity units across England and Wales, we compared planned delivery versus expectant management (usual care) with individual randomisation in women with late preterm pre-eclampsia from 34 to less than 37 weeks' gestation and a singleton or dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy. The co-primary maternal outcome was a composite of maternal morbidity or recorded systolic blood pressure of at least 160 mm Hg with a superiority hypothesis. The co-primary perinatal outcome was a composite of perinatal deaths or neonatal unit admission up to infant hospital discharge with a non-inferiority hypothesis (non-inferiority margin of 10% difference in incidence). Analyses were by intention to treat, together with a per-protocol analysis for the perinatal outcome. The trial was prospectively registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN01879376. The trial is closed to recruitment but follow-up is ongoing. Findings: Between Sept 29, 2014, and Dec 10, 2018, 901 women were recruited. 450 women (448 women and 471 infants analysed) were allocated to planned delivery and 451 women (451 women and 475 infants analysed) to expectant management. The incidence of the co-primary maternal outcome was significantly lower in the planned delivery group (289 [65%] women) compared with the expectant management group (338 [75%] women; adjusted relative risk 0·86, 95% CI 0·79–0·94; p=0·0005). The incidence of the co-primary perinatal outcome by intention to treat was significantly higher in the planned delivery group (196 [42%] infants) compared with the expectant management group (159 [34%] infants; 1·26, 1·08–1·47; p=0·0034). The results from the per-protocol analysis were similar. There were nine serious adverse events in the planned delivery group and 12 in the expectant management group. Interpretation: There is strong evidence to suggest that planned delivery reduces maternal morbidity and severe hypertension compared with expectant management, with more neonatal unit admissions related to prematurity but no indicators of greater neonatal morbidity. This trade-off should be discussed with women with late preterm pre-eclampsia to allow shared decision making on timing of delivery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme

Chronic hypertension in pregnancy:the impact of ethnicity and superimposed preeclampsia on placental, endothelial and renal biomarkers

Black ethnicity is associated with worse pregnancy outcomes in women with chronic hypertension. Preexisting endothelial and renal dysfunction and poor placentation may contribute, but pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning increased risk are poorly understood. This cohort study aimed to investigate the relationship between ethnicity, superimposed preeclampsia, and longitudinal changes in markers of endothelial, renal, and placental dysfunction in women with chronic hypertension. Plasma concentrations of placental growth factor (PlGF), syndecan-1, renin, and aldosterone and urinary angiotensinogen-to-creatinine ratio (AGTCR), protein-to-creatinine ratio (PCR), and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) were quantified during pregnancy and postpartum in women with chronic hypertension. Comparisons of longitudinal biomarker concentrations were made using log-transformation and random effects logistic regression allowing for gestation. Of 117 women, superimposed preeclampsia was diagnosed in 21% ( n = 25), with 24% ( n = 6) having an additional diagnosis of diabetes. The cohort included 63 (54%) women who self-identified as being of black ethnicity. PlGF concentrations were 67% lower [95% confidence interval (CI) −79 to −48%] and AGTCR, PCR, and ACR were higher over gestation, in women with subsequent superimposed preeclampsia (compared with those without superimposed preeclampsia). PlGF &lt;100 pg/ml at 20–23.9 wk of gestation predicted subsequent birth weight &lt;3rd percentile with 88% sensitivity (95% CI 47–100%) and 83% specificity (95% CI 70–92%). Black women had 43% lower renin (95% CI −58 to −23%) and 41% lower aldosterone (95%CI −45 to −15%) concentrations over gestation. Changes in placental (PlGF) and renal (AGTCR/PCR/ACR) biomarkers predated adverse pregnancy outcome. Ethnic variation in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system exists in women with chronic hypertension in pregnancy and may be important in treatment selection.</jats:p