Prediction of pre-eclampsia by uterine artery Doppler ultrasonography and maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, activin A and inhibin A at 22 + 0 to 24 + 6 weeks' gestation.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the potential value of combining uterine artery Doppler ultrasonography with the measurement of maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG), activin A and inhibin A at 22 + 0 to 24 + 6 weeks' gestation, in the prediction of pregnancies that subsequently develop pre-eclampsia.


METHODS
The maternal serum PAPP-A, free beta-hCG, activin A and inhibin A concentrations at 22 + 0 to 24 + 6 weeks' gestation were measured in samples obtained from women with singleton pregnancies who participated in a screening study for pre-eclampsia by transvaginal color flow Doppler measurement of the uterine artery pulsatility index (PI). A search was made of the database to identify those who subsequently developed pre-eclampsia (n = 24) and a group of controls with normal outcome (n = 144). Regression analysis was performed to establish any relationship between the biochemical markers themselves and between the biochemical markers and uterine artery mean PI. A multivariate Gaussian model combining various biochemical markers with uterine artery mean PI was developed using standard statistical modeling techniques and the performance of such models in discriminating cases with pre-eclampsia was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis.


RESULTS
In the pre-eclampsia group, compared to the controls, the uterine artery mean PI and the maternal serum levels of PAPP-A, free beta-hCG, activin A and inhibin A were significantly increased. The predicted detection rates of pre-eclampsia, for a false positive rate of 5%, was 50% by uterine artery mean PI, 5% by PAPP-A, 10% by free beta-hCG, 35% by inhibin A and 44% by activin A. Screening by a combination of uterine artery mean PI and maternal serum activin A and inhibin A could detect 75% and 92% of patients who subsequently developed pre-eclampsia, for false positive rates of 5% and 10%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Screening for pre-eclampsia by uterine artery PI at 22 + 0 to 24 + 6 weeks' gestation can be improved by measurement of activin A and inhibin A levels.
Spencer
K
K
Prenatal Screening Unit, Clinical Biochemistry Department, Harold Wood Hospital, Romford, UK. KevinSpencer1@aol.com
Yu
C K H
CK
Savvidou
M
M
Papageorghiou
A T
AT
Nicolaides
K H
KH
D028341:Activins / Q000097:blood; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000032:analysis; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C422405:activin A; C422362:inhibin A; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A