These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Serum and urine inhibin A but not free activin A are endocrine biomarkers of severe pre-eclampsia.
    Author: Hamar BD, Buhimschi IA, Sfakianaki AK, Pettker CM, Magloire LK, Funai EF, Copel JA, Buhimschi CS.
    Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol; 2006 Dec; 195(6):1636-45. PubMed ID: 16959203.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: Elevation of total serum inhibin A and activin A has been interpreted as evidence of placental dysfunction in women who develop pre-eclampsia. We sought to evaluate serum and urine levels of inhibin A and free activin A in normal and hypertensive pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: Inhibin A and free activin A were measured by immunoassay in simultaneously collected serum and urine samples from 75 women: (1) severe pre-eclampsia (n = 30); (2) mild pre-eclampsia (n = 11); (3) chronic hypertension (n = 9); (4) pregnant control women (n = 16); and (5) nonpregnant control women (n = 9). Urine levels were normalized to milligrams urine creatinine, and fractional excretions were calculated. RESULTS: Serum and urine inhibin A were increased and fractional excretion was decreased in pregnancy. Serum, urine, and fractional excretion of inhibin A were increased in severe pre-eclampsia, compared with other gravidas. The only difference observed in free activin A was a decrease in serum free activin A in chronic hypertension, compared with severe pre-eclampsia and pregnant control women. Urine inhibin A showed the greatest discrimination between severe pre-eclampsia and pregnant control women: a cut-off of 45 pg/mg urine creatinine had 96.8% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, and 93.6% accuracy. Women with urine inhibin A greater than 90 pg/mg urine creatinine had a 17-fold relative risk (95% confidence interval 9.7-459.5) of a clinically indicated delivery due to pre-eclampsia. CONCLUSION: Serum and urine levels of inhibin A are altered in severe pre-eclampsia. Urine inhibin A may have application in the diagnosis and management of pre-eclampsia. Those with chronic hypertension have lower serum but not urine free activin A levels, compared with severe pre-eclampsia and mild pre-eclampsia.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]