Skip to content

IMproved PRegnancy Outcome by Early Detection

Personalized Medicine for Pregnant Women: Novel Metabolomic and Proteomic Biomarkers to Detect Pre-eclampsia and Improve Outcome.

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01891240
Acronym
IMPROvED
Enrollment
5000
Registered
2013-07-03
Start date
2013-11-30
Completion date
2018-04-30
Last updated
2016-11-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pre-eclampsia, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Pregnancy, High-risk

Keywords

Diagnostic, Pre-eclampsia, Pregnancy outcome, Mass screening, Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures

Brief summary

The overall objective of the IMPROvED project is to develop a sensitive, specific, high-throughput and economically viable early pregnancy screening test for preeclampsia. This will involve a multicentre, phase IIa clinical predictive study to assess and refine novel and innovative prototype tests based on emerging metabolomic and proteomic technologies developed by SMEs (small to medium size enterprise) within the consortium. The study will i) recruit 5000 first-time pregnant women; ii) establish a high calibre biobank, augmented by accurate clinical metadata; iii) determine whether prototype predictive assays and algorithms translate to the clinical environment; iv) assess potential synergy of a combined metabolomic and proteomic approach and v) progress regulatory approval and development of the selected test into the clinical arena.

Detailed description

Sample size calculations have been considered extensively and given the complexity of the study; there is no single simple solution. For the purpose of sample size estimation in the overall study, we used a binary outcome and associated measures of sensitivity and likelihood ratio as determinants of the value of these tests. Although the predictive algorithms will produce a continuous risk score, the use of a categorical outcome fits with the final binary decision process (to treat or not to treat) based on the risk score. Based on the lowest estimated prevalence of pre-eclampsia of 3% and a test sensitivity of 93% and a test specificity of 97%, then to be 90% certain that the true specificity of the patient population is no less than 95%, a sample size of 4,800 participants is required. Thus, allowing for patient dropout, a study population of 5,000 women is needed.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

Keele University
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Liverpool
CollaboratorOTHER
Karolinska University
CollaboratorOTHER
Erasmus Medical Center
CollaboratorOTHER
Copenhagen Trial Unit, Center for Clinical Intervention Research
CollaboratorOTHER
MedSciNet AB, Stockholm, Sweden
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
MyCartis, Ghent, Belgium
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Metabolomic Diagnostics Ltd, Cork, Ireland
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Accelopment AG
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Groningen, The Netherlands
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
INFANT centre, University College Cork, Republic of Ireland
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Louise Kenny
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
16 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Nulliparous. * Singleton pregnancy, between 9+0 and 16+6 weeks' gestation. * Signed informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

* Unsure of last menstrual period (LMP) and unwilling to have ultrasonography screening (USS) at ≤ 20 weeks. * ≥ 3 miscarriages. * ≥3 terminations of pregnancy. * Known or suspected major fetal anomaly/abnormal karyotype. * Essential hypertension treated pre-pregnancy. * Moderate-severe hypertension at booking (BP \>160/100 mmHg). * Diabetes mellitus. * Renal disease. * Systemic lupus erythematosus. * Anti-phospholipid syndrome. * Sickle cell disease. * HIV positive. * Hepatitis B or C positive. * Major uterine anomaly. * Cervical suture in situ. * Knife cone biopsy. * Long-term steroids. * Treatment with low-dose aspirin. * Treatment with heparin/LMW heparin. * Lack of informed consent. After recruitment, if the woman is found to be outside the stated gestation limits for the IMPROvED 1st visit of 9 weeks 0 days to 13 weeks 6 days she will be retained in the study if she is willing to take part in the second and third visit and is otherwise eligible. There is one pre-specified criteria for discontinuation of a participant. If a woman is recruited into the IMPROvED study and later identified as having a pregnancy exclusion criterion, i.e., ≥ 3 miscarriages, ≥ 3 TOPS, or using low-dose aspirin at the time of recruitment, she shall be excluded. However, women diagnosed during the pregnancy but after recruitment with an exclusion criterion, e.g., diseases such as renal disease, anti-phospholipid syndrome, etc. shall be retained within the study. Women who are recruited but later discontinue from the study do not count towards recruitment targets for each centre. Accordingly, such dropouts must be replaced.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pre-eclampsia.7 days after birthPreeclampsia is defined as gestational hypertension defined as systolic BP ≥140mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥90mmHg (Korotkoff V) on at least 2 occasions 4h apart after 20 weeks' gestation, but before the onset of labour or postpartum systolic BP ≥140mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥90mmHg on at least 2 occasions 4h apart with either proteinuria ≥300mg/24h or spot urine protein:creatinine ratio ≥30mg/mmol creatinine or urine dipstick protein ≥++.
Spontaneous pre-term birthUp to 37+0 weeks´ gestationSpontaneous pre-term birth is defined as spontaneous preterm labour or preterm premature rupture of the membranes resulting in preterm birth at \<37+0 weeks' gestation.
Small for gestational age (SGA)Within 24 hours after birthThe birth weight is converted to a customized centile, adjusting for gestation, maternal weight, height, parity, ethnicity and infant sex. SGA is defined as \<10th customised centile.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Early onset pre-eclampsiaFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksPre-eclampsia resulting in delivery at \<34+0 weeks' gestation.
Multisystem complications of pre-eclampsiaBetween 20 weeks´gestation and 6 weeks after birthDefined as one or more of the following: * Acute renal insufficiency defined as new increase in serum creatinine to \>100μmol/L antepartum or \>130μmol/L postpartum. * Liver disease defined as raised aspartate transaminase and/or alanine transaminase \>45 IU/L and/or severe right upper quadrant or epigastric pain or liver rupture. * Neurological problems defined as eclampsia, imminent eclampsia (severe headache with hyperreflexia and persistent visual disturbance) or cerebral haemorrhage. * Haematological abnormalities including thrombocytopenia (platelets \<100x109/L), disseminated intravascular coagulation or haemolysis, diagnosed by features on blood film (such as fragmented cells, helmet cells) and reduced haptoglobin.
Pre-eclampsia with severe fetal or neonatal complicationsFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksPre-eclampsia resulting in either delivery at \< 32+0 weeks' gestation or major neonatal morbidity or stillbirth or neonatal death or post-neonatal death.
Major neonatal morbidity in preterm infantsFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksOne or more of the following amongst babies delivered before 37 weeks' gestation: Grade III or IV intraventricular haemorrhage; Chronic lung disease; Necrotizing enterocolitis; Retinopathy of prematurity stage 3 or 4; Sepsis (blood or CSF culture proven); Or cystic periventricular leukomalacia. These conditions will be defined using the Australian and New Zealand neonatal network definitions.
Major neonatal morbidity in term infantsFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksOne or more of the following amongst babies delivered at or after 37 weeks' gestation: Grade II or III hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy; Ventilation \>24 hours; Neonatal unit care admission \>4 days; Apgars \< 4 at 5 minutes; Cord arterial pH \<7.0 and/or base excess \>-15; Or neonatal seizures.
Pre-eclampsia with severe maternal complicationsFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksThe development of pre-eclampsia with one or more of the following: Maternal death; Persistent severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥170mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥110mmHg on more than one occasion antepartum or postpartum); Or multi-system complication (as defined in outcome above.
Preeclampsia with either severe maternal complication or severe fetal or neonatal complicationsFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksPregnancies affected by severe maternal or severe fetal or neonatal complications (as defined in Major neonatal morbidity in preterm infants or Major neonatal morbidity term infants).
Early onset SGAFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksSGA resulting in delivery at \<34+0 weeks' gestation.
SGA with severe fetal or neonatal complicationsFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksSGA and either delivery at \<32+0 weeks' gestation or major neonatal morbidity (as defined in Major neonatal morbidity in preterm infants) or stillbirth or neonatal death or post-neonatal death.
Early onset spontaneous preterm birthFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksSpontaneous pre-term birth resulting in delivery \< 34+0 weeks' gestation.
Spontaneous preterm birth with severe fetal or neonatal complicationsFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksSpontaneous preterm birth (PTB) resulting in either delivery at \<32+0 weeks' or spontaneous PTB resulting in major neonatal morbidity (as defined in Major neonatal morbidity in preterm infants) or stillbirth or neonatal death or post-neonatal death.
Spontaneous preterm birth with PPROMFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksSpontaneous PTB following preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM).
Spontaneous preterm birth without PPROMFollowed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 6 weeksSpontaneous PTB with intact membranes at the onset of labour.

Countries

Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 22, 2026