title: Maternal serum activin A is not elevated before preeclampsia in women who are at high risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether, in women who are at high risk of the development of preeclampsia, serum activin A concentrations are elevated before the disease and whether activin A is a useful predictor of preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera were collected on five occasions throughout pregnancy from women with chronic hypertension, renal disease, or previous early-onset preeclampsia (n = 80 women). Women were classified as control subjects (normotensive or stable chronic hypertension), gestational hypertensive, or preeclamptic (de novo or superimposed). Serum activin A concentrations were measured by immunoassay. Differences in activin A concentrations between groups were analyzed with the use of a mixed-models procedure; screening test characteristics were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six women (33%) had gestational hypertension, and 17 women (21%) had preeclampsia or superimposed preeclampsia. Serum activin A levels increased with gestation in all groups (P =.0001), but there were no significant difference in activin A levels between groups (P =.75).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women who were at high risk of the development of preeclampsia, serum activin A levels are not elevated with preeclampsia. Activin A is not a useful predictor of preeclampsia in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Blackburn
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Keelan
authors.forename: Rennae S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Robyn A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: North
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits