title: Do serum leptin levels have a role in the prediction of pregnancy outcome in case of threatened miscarriage?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether maternal serum leptin levels can predict pregnancy outcome in cases of threatened miscarriage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven women with normal pregnancy (group A), 19 women with threatened miscarriage who delivered at term (group B), 22 women with threatened miscarriage with subsequent miscarriage (group C) and 27 women with delayed miscarriage (group D).
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternal serum leptin was determined using a commercial radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum leptin levels were not significantly different among groups A, B and C [median (range) 17.6 (10.1-26.5), 18.2 (12.5-25.6) and 17.3 (11.2-27.6) microg/l, respectively]. Women in group D showed significantly lower serum leptin levels in comparison with other groups [14 (6.7-21.3) microg/l; P < 0.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum leptin levels in the first trimester of pregnancy may not be the primary indicator of miscarriage in cases of threatened abortion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. gtommaselli@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Giovanni A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Tommaselli
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Spiezio Sardo
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bifulco
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cerrota
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nappi
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood; D000033:Abortion, Threatened / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin