Inhibin-A and pro-alpha C are elevated in preeclamptic pregnancy and correlate with human chorionic gonadotropin.
OBJECTIVE
Serum concentrations of the heterodimeric glycoprotein inhibin-A (alpha-beta A) and its alpha-subunit increase during pregnancy. The placenta is the predominant source of inhibin during pregnancy, and a paracrine role in the trophoblast has been suggested. Elevated serum concentrations of inhibin alpha-subunit as well as the glycoprotein human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) have been described in preeclamptic pregnancy. The objectives of this investigation were to compare serum concentrations of inhibin-A and inhibin pro-alpha C in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancy, and to examine the relationship of hCG and inhibin-A in those pregnancies.


METHODS
A case-control design using 32 patients with preeclampsia with a single fetus at 32-40 weeks of gestation and 34 gestation age-matched normotensive control subjects was used for this investigation. Solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure inhibin-A and inhibin pro-alpha C in sera. An immunoradiometric assay was used to measure intact hCG.


RESULTS
Inhibin-A and inhibin pro-alpha C concentrations were significantly elevated in the sera of women with preeclampsia compared with those concentrations in normotensive control subjects (P < 0.05). A relationship of inhibin-A or pro-alpha C with severity of preeclampsia was not observed. There was a significant positive correlation of serum hCG with both inhibin-A and pro-alpha C (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of inhibin-A and the subunit pro-alpha C are increased in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. These findings are potentially the effect of a paracrine role of inhibin-A in the development and proliferation of the trophoblast.
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, USA.
R F
RF
Fraser
M E
ME
McAsey
P
P
Coney
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D008423:Maternal Age; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; C094377:inhibin-alpha subunit; C095971:inhibin-alpha subunit precursor; D007265:Inhibins