title: Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (PIVKA-II) levels in maternal serum throughout gestation.
abstract: The status of vitamin K in pregnant women was investigated using the highly sensitive method for des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (protein induced by vitamin K absence [PIVKA-II]), electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. A gradual elevation of PIVKA-II related to gestational weeks was observed in healthy pregnant women, suggesting that a modest vitamin K deficiency takes place in gestation. Furthermore, throughout gestation the majority of pregnant women exceeded the healthy adult levels in PIVKA-II. Among complicated gestations of preeclampsia, a remarkable elevation of PIVKA-II was observed in severe preeclampsia, in which a high correlation between PIVKA-II level and coagulation parameters, including thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes, was revealed. These data were suggestive that the vitamin K status readily decreased into a deficient status in hypercoagulative conditions. Among other complicated gestations, a moderate elevation of PIVKA-II was demonstrated in hyperemetic conditions, and, if at all, only a slight elevation of PIVKA-II was observed in other maternal diseases. The present study is the first report regarding the changes of PIVKA-II in pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan. tomizo3@hama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishiguchi
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanayama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011516:Prothrombin; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014812:Vitamin K; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin