Maternal serum ADAM-12 as a potential marker for different adverse pregnancy outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate first-trimester ADAM-12 levels in pregnancies which later develop hypertensive and growth complications.


METHODS
First-trimester serum samples (11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks) were retrieved from frozen storage. 47 samples with at least one of the following adverse outcomes: pre-eclampsia (PE), small for gestational age, HELLP syndrome and gestational hypertension were analysed and 452 controls matched to the cases by gestational age and length of storage were analysed. ADAM-12 levels were measured by the automated AutoDELFIA immunoassay platform.


RESULTS
ADAM-12 was found to increase with gestational age (11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks) and decrease with increasing maternal weight and in women who smoked. After correction, ADAM-12 median multiples of the median were increased in cases with HELLP syndrome, all PE and PE only.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased first-trimester levels of ADAM-12 in PE and HELLP are in contrast with previous findings. The usefulness of ADAM-12 as a marker for adverse outcomes is still unclear.
Matwejew
E
E
Department of Obstetrics, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
Cowans
N J
NJ
Stamatopoulou
A
A
Spencer
K
K
von Kaisenberg
C S
CS
D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D000072199:ADAM12 Protein; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000072199:ADAM12 Protein; C000606480:ADAM12 protein, human