title: The value of vascular endothelial growth factor, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, and progesterone for early differentiation of ectopic pregnancies, normal intrauterine pregnancies, and spontaneous miscarriages.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the capacity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), and progesterone (P) to discriminate ectopic pregnancies (EP) from nonectopic ones.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, case-controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine women with EP, 29 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy (nIUP), and 28 women with spontaneous miscarriage, all matched for gestational age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were obtained.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum concentrations of VEGF, PAPP-A, and P were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum VEGF concentrations did not show statistically significant differences among women with EP (median, 55.24 pg/mL; range, 0.20-179.24), spontaneous miscarriages (median, 26.24 pg/mL; range, 0.22-365.24), and nIUP (median, 43.24 pg/mL; range, 0.86-101.24). The median level of P was significantly increased in the nIUP group (20.58 ng/mL; range, 13.9-37.04) compared with the other two groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the spontaneous miscarriage and EP groups. Like P, PAPP-A values were also significantly higher in the nIUP group than in the other two groups, but the difference between PAPP-A values in the EP and spontaneous abortion groups was statistically insignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF, PAPP-A, and P cannot be used to diagnose EPs, but PAPP-A and P can at least be used to differentiate abnormal pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr Zekai Tahir Burak Woman Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. evin.nilugurlu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Evin Nil
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Ugurlu
authors.forename: Gulnur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ozaksit
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karaer
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zulfikaroglu
authors.forename: Aral
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ugur
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000032:analysis*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D011374:Progesterone; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A