Non-stimulated high FT4 is associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia.

What is it about?

During pregnancy, the thyroid is stimulated by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This leads to an increase in FT4 and a decrease in TSH. We previously found that high-normal FT4 concentrations are associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia. In this paper, we wanted to investigate if this risk differs according to the relative amount of hCG stimulation during the time of blood sampling. The reason for this question is that if the cause of a high-normal FT4 concentration is a high hCG concentration, this is most likely a normal physiological response - believed to not lead to adverse outcomes. However, if a women has a high-normal FT4 with a low hCG, another cause can be suspected - such causes are more likely to be pathological, and thus reflect actual underlying thyroid pathology.

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Why is it important?

These finding allow us to identify which women with a high FT4 have a higher risk. Such sub-stratification is important to identify which women are at a higher risk for pre-eclampsia. In addition, it also allows us to say something about what causes of a high FT4 may lead to pre-eclampsia.

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