title: Diagnostic applications for inhibin and activins.
abstract: Inhibin and activins play major roles as paracrine and autocrine signaling molecules in reproduction and development where the main emphasis has been placed in developing potential diagnostic applications. While a role for activin assays in diagnostics has so far been unfounded, ELISAs specific for the biologically active inhibin A and B dimers, and for free inhibin alpha subunits, alone or in combination have found some specific diagnostic applications. Addition of inhibin A to the triple test for Down syndrome in the second trimester of pregnancy, measurement of total inhibin as a marker of certain forms of ovarian cancer in specific circumstances, and inhibin B for male fertility are useful diagnostics. A review of the evidence so far suggests that other applications for inhibin and activin assays have yet to be confirmed, or translated into reliable tools for clinical practice.
authors: MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom. a.mcneilly@ed.ac.uk
authors: Alan S
authors: AS
authors: McNeilly
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D013091:Spermatogenesis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins