title: Early pregnancy factor as a marker for the earliest stages of pregnancy in infertile women.
abstract: Early pregnancy factor (EPF) is known to be detectable in sera of pregnant women within 24 to 48 h after conception. To examine the incidence of early embryonic loss after hormonal treatment and homologous artificial insemination, we screened the sera of our patients for the presence of EPF by means of a rosette inhibition test. Our results show a considerably lower conception rate as described in appropriate studies on fertile women. If reduced sperm quality is the indication for insemination, the abortion rate in the first 2 weeks of gestation is significantly increased in relation to the rest of our patients. Infertility because of an impaired development of the embryo, especially if repeated EPF-positive cycles do not result in a pregnancy, may be due to chromosomal defects or malformations and a chromosomal analysis is recommended. In patients in whom EPF is never found to be positive, indicating a disorder of conception, we regard IVF/ET to be the treatment of choice.
authors.affiliation: Frauenklinik der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover im Krankenhaus Oststadt, FRG.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mesrogli
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Maas
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D018835:Chaperonin 10; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D011259:Pregnancy Tests, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic
chemical_list: D018835:Chaperonin 10; D010455:Peptides; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic; C025124:early pregnancy factor