title: Decreased serum levels of macrophage migration inhibition factor in miscarriages with normal chromosome karyotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine serum concentrations of macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) during normal pregnancies, and to assess whether serum MIF concentrations early in pregnancies predict the subsequent outcome in women with recurrent miscarriage (RM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum MIF concentrations were measured by ELISA. Sera were collected from normal women in the first (Group I, n = 29), second (Group II, n = 25) and third trimester (Group III, n = 26) and from 78 RM women at 4-6 weeks gestation. Eleven of these 78 pregnancies subsequently ended in first trimester miscarriage with normal fetal chromosome karyotype (MsNK), seven ended in first trimester miscarriage with abnormal karyotype (MsAK), and three ended in biochemical pregnancy. The other 57 pregnancies ended in live birth (LB) between 32-41 weeks gestation, and only one woman developed preeclampsia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median MIF concentrations in Group I, II and III were similar at 17.6, 16.4 and 15.1 ng/ml respectively. MIF concentrations during early gestation in RM women with subsequent MsNK, MsAK and LB were 8.1, 11.4 and 16.4 ng/ml respectively. MIF concentrations in RM women with MsNK were significantly lower than those in RM women with LB (P < 0.01) and than those in Group I (P < 0.01), II (P < 0.05) and III (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased serum MIF concentrations during early gestation were found in RM women with MsNK, and might be related to the aetiology of miscarriage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-ku N15 W7, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. yhideto@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hideto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Emi H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watari
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minakami
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishihira
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000097:blood*; D036801:Parturition; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First
chemical_list: D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors