Clinical applications of serum placental protein 14 (PP14) measurement in the IVF-ET cycle.
OBJECTIVE
Placental protein 14 (PP14) is known to be one of the endometrial proteins that reflect endometrial functioning throughout the menstrual cycle. In this study, we examined PP14 as a marker for human endometrial receptivity in order to predict the outcome of in vitro fertilization and the embryo-transfer (IVF-ET) cycle.


METHODS
The subjects were 72 women who had 96 IVF-ET cycles and who were examined at Tokyo Medical University Hospital during the period of January 1998 to June 1998 because of mechanical or unexplained infertility for a duration of at least 2 years. Serum samples were collected from all patients during treatment cycles, and serum PP14 concentrations were measured by a newly established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
In the pregnant group, serum PP14 concentrations were markedly increased after ET, and a significant difference between the pregnant group and the nonpregnant group was observed 8 days following ET (p < 0.01). PP14 concentrations were higher in patients with endometria that exhibited homogenous patterns and that were more than 7 mm thicker than in other patients, as determined by ultrasound on the day of oocyte collection (p < 0.005). The pregnancy rates of patients with homogeneous patterns were lower than those of patients showing a trilaminar pattern. No pregnancies were observed when serum PP14 concentrations were greater than 6.85 U/l on the day of oocyte collection.


CONCLUSIONS
PP14 might be a useful marker for human endometrial receptivity to predict the outcome of IVF-ET cycles.
Suzuki
Y
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, Japan.
Sugiyama
R
R
Fukumine
N
N
Usuda
S
S
Itoh
H
H
Isaka
K
K
Takayama
M
M
Teisner
B
B
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D000071816:Glycodelin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography
D015415:Biomarkers; D000071816:Glycodelin; D006023:Glycoproteins; C045246:PAEP protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins