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Title: The value of vascular endothelial growth factor, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, and progesterone for early differentiation of ectopic pregnancies, normal intrauterine pregnancies, and spontaneous miscarriages. Author: Ugurlu EN, Ozaksit G, Karaer A, Zulfikaroglu E, Atalay A, Ugur M. Journal: Fertil Steril; 2009 May; 91(5):1657-61. PubMed ID: 18402945. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capacity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), and progesterone (P) to discriminate ectopic pregnancies (EP) from nonectopic ones. DESIGN: Prospective, case-controlled study. SETTING: Tertiary care center. PATIENT(S): Twenty-nine women with EP, 29 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy (nIUP), and 28 women with spontaneous miscarriage, all matched for gestational age. INTERVENTION(S): Serum samples were obtained. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum concentrations of VEGF, PAPP-A, and P were measured. RESULT(S): Serum VEGF concentrations did not show statistically significant differences among women with EP (median, 55.24 pg/mL; range, 0.20-179.24), spontaneous miscarriages (median, 26.24 pg/mL; range, 0.22-365.24), and nIUP (median, 43.24 pg/mL; range, 0.86-101.24). The median level of P was significantly increased in the nIUP group (20.58 ng/mL; range, 13.9-37.04) compared with the other two groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the spontaneous miscarriage and EP groups. Like P, PAPP-A values were also significantly higher in the nIUP group than in the other two groups, but the difference between PAPP-A values in the EP and spontaneous abortion groups was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION(S): VEGF, PAPP-A, and P cannot be used to diagnose EPs, but PAPP-A and P can at least be used to differentiate abnormal pregnancies.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]