title: Combined maternal serum inhibin A and embryonic/ fetal heart rate for the prediction of pregnancy outcome in a first-trimester threatened abortion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the value of combined maternal serum inhibin A and embryonic/fetal heart rate to predict the pregnancy outcome in a first-trimester threatened abortion.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective observational study. The authors measured maternal serum inhibin A and the embryonic/fetal heart rate in women with a clinical diagnosis of a threatened abortion and in normal pregnant women. The main outcome measured was ongoing normal pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty women with threatened abortions and 30 normal pregnant women were followed. Three women with threatened abortions ended in failed pregnancies. The mean embryonic/fetal heart rate and the median of serum inhibin A in the threatened abortion group were not different from the control group. In women with threatened abortions and failing pregnancies, the embryonic/fetal heart rate (101.7 +/- 20.1 beats/min) was significantly lower than in women with threatened abortions but ongoing pregnancies (163.3 +/- 19.7 beats/min, p = 0.024). Serum inhibin A in women with threatened abortions and failing pregnancies was not different from women with threatened abortions but ongoing pregnancies (median) 274.0 vs. 559.9 pg/mL, p = 0.388). When using serum inhibin A combined with embryonic/fetal heart rate, or only embryonic/fetal heart rate, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting an ongoing pregnancy were 100% and 50% or 100% and 100%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined maternal serum inhibin A and embryonic/fetal heart rate is not better than embryonic/fetal heart rate for predicting the pregnancy outcome in a first-trimester threatened abortion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. vorapong.p@chula.ac.th
authors.forename: Vorapong
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Phupong
authors.forename: Tharangrut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanprasertpong
mesh_terms: D000033:Abortion, Threatened / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: C422362:inhibin A; D007265:Inhibins