Circulating neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and preeclampsia: a meta-analysis

Figures & data

Figure 1. Diagram illustrating the process of searching databases and identifying studies.

Table 1. Characteristics of the included studies.

Study	Country	Study design	Maternal age (years)	Diagnosis of PE	Source of control	No. of PE	No. of Control	Timing of sampling	Methods for plasma NGAL measuring	Variables matched or adjusted
D’anna et al. [18]	Italy	CC	28.7	ISSHP	Non-hypertensive pregnant women	48	96	At diagnosis (2nd trimester)	Sandwich enzyme immunoassay	Maternal age, nulliparous, BMI, and GA
D’anna et al. [30]	Italy	CC	28.3	ISSHP	Women with single pregnancy without hypertension or renal disease	37	74	Before diagnosis (1st trimester)	Sandwich enzyme immunoassay	Maternal age, nulliparous, BMI, and GA
Stepan et al. [31]	Germany	CC	30.7	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	22	22	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, BMI, and GA
Arikan et al. [32]	Turkey	CC	28.7	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	44	22	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	Sandwich enzyme immunoassay	Maternal age, BMI, and GA
Youssef et al. [19]	Italy	CC	30.8	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	13	515	Before diagnosis (1st trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, BMI, and GA
Cao et al. [20]	China	CC	31.2	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	64	25	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age and GA
Xiao et al. [21]	China	CC	27.2	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	25	25	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	GA
Kim et al. [33]	Korea	CC	33	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	37	37	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, BMI, and GA
Sachan et al. [23]	India	CC	26.3	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	97	31	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, gravida, BMI, and GA
Karampas et al. [22]	Greece	CC	33.5	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	12	33	Before and at diagnosis (1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age and GA
Simonazzi et al. [34]	Italy	CC	37	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	22	18	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, nulliparous, BMI, and GA
Cui et al. [35]	China	CC	39.7	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	110	62	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	Multiplex immunoassay	Maternal age, nulliparous, BMI, and GA
Zhang et al. [24]	China	CC	27.1	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	128	183	Before diagnosis (1st trimester)	ELISA	Age, BMI, and GA
Pihl et al. [25]	Denmark	CC	28.8	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	268	449	Before diagnosis (1st trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, BMI, and GA
Li et al. [27]	China	CC	30	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	186	72	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age and GA
Yalman et al. [28]	Turkey	CC	27.9	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	52	25	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, parity, BMI, and GA
Ali et al. [26]	Iraq	CC	27.4	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	88	44	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, parity, BMI, and GA
Parasher et al. [29]	India	CC	22.8	ACOG	Healthy pregnant women	40	40	At diagnosis (3rd trimester)	ELISA	Maternal age, parity, and GA

CC, case-control; PE, preeclampsia; NGAL, neutrophil gelatinase- associated lipocalin; ISSHP, the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy; ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; BMI, body mass index; GA, gestational age;.

Table 2. Study quality evaluation via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Study	Adequate definition of the cases	Representativeness of the cases	Selection of Controls	Definition of Controls	Controlled for GA	Controlled for other factors	Ascertainment of the exposure	Same method of ascertainment of exposure for cases and controls	Non-response rate	Overall
D’anna et al. [18]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
D’anna et al. [30]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Stepan et al. [31]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Arikan et al. [32]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Youssef et al. [19]	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	8
Cao et al. [20]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Xiao et al. [21]	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	8
Kim et al. [33]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Sachan et al. [23]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Karampas et al. [22]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Simonazzi et al. [34]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Cui et al. [35]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Zhang et al. [24]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Pihl [25]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Li [27]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Yalman [28]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Ali [26]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
Parasher et al. [29]	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9

Figure 2. Forest plots comparing the circulating level of NGAL between women with and without PE.

Figure 3. Forest plots for the subgroup analyses according to the timing of blood sampling.

Figure 4. Forest plots for the subgroup analyses for comparisons of mild or severe PE versus control.

Figure 5. An analysis of the publication bias of the meta-analyses based on funnel plots.

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Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.