First trimester levels of inhibins and activin A in normal and failing pregnancies.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Miscarriage is the commonest complication of human pregnancy. We undertook this study to assess whether inhibin A, pro-alphaC inhibin and/or activin A, products of the corpus luteum and placenta, might be useful in either the prediction or diagnosis of miscarriage.

DESIGN:

Case-control study.

PATIENTS:

Ninety-eight asymptomatic women at 6-13 weeks gestation who subsequently had a miscarriage and 198 gestation-matched women with a normal singleton pregnancy.

MEASUREMENTS:

Maternal serum levels of inhibin A, pro-alphaC inhibin, activin A and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) were measured.

RESULTS:

Inhibin A, pro-alphaC and hCG, expressed as multiples of the normal median (MoM; +/-95% confidence intervals) in the miscarriage cases were significantly lower than in the viable controls, 0.56 (0.48-0.69) MoM vs. 1.00 (0.98-1.13) MoM, 0.55 (0.51-0.84) MoM vs. 1.0 (0.86-1.22) MoM and 0.34 (0.23-0.36) MoM vs. 1.00 (0.94-1.08) MoM, respectively (P < 0.0001 for all). Of the three analytes, hCG was the most discriminating between cases and controls. Levels of activin A in the miscarriage cases were not significantly different from controls, 0.96 (0.86-1.07) vs. 1.0 (0.95-1.08).

CONCLUSIONS:

These data suggest that inhibin A, pro-alphaC inhibin and activin A will not be useful in either the prediction or diagnosis of early pregnancy miscarriage.

• Authors: Euan M Wallace, Budi Marjono, Katrina Tyzack, Stephen Tong
• Journal: Clinical endocrinology (Clin Endocrinol (Oxf)) Vol. 60 Issue 4 Pg. 484-90 (Apr 2004) ISSN: 0300-0664 [Print] England
• PMID: 15049964 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Chorionic Gonadotropin
• Protein Precursors
• activin A
• inhibin-alpha subunit precursor
• Activins
• Inhibins
• Inhibin-beta Subunits

Topics

• Abortion, Spontaneous (blood)
• Activins (blood)
• Adult
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Case-Control Studies
• Chorionic Gonadotropin (blood)
• Female
• Humans
• Inhibin-beta Subunits (blood)
• Inhibins (blood)
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Trimester, First
• Protein Precursors (blood)