title: Maternal body mass index and serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin in very early pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the association of maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) with serum concentrations of hCG in early pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oslo University Hospital, Norway, 1996-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 3,301 pregnancies with live-born offspring conceived after assisted reproductive techniques, 2,611 women had information on serum hCG concentrations on day 16 after ovulation induction and prepregnancy BMI: 2,110 mothers with singleton and 501 mothers with multiple pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human chorionic gonadotropin concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Geometric mean hCG concentration was higher in multiple pregnancies (190 IU/L) than in singleton pregnancies (106 IU/L). In singleton pregnancies geometric mean serum concentration decreased from 117 IU/L in women with BMI <20 kg/m(2) to 86 IU/L in women with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2). In multiple pregnancies, the corresponding decrease was from 226 IU/L to 130 IU/L. There was a significant negative association of BMI with hCG concentrations log transformed in the study sample as a whole (regression coefficient -0.013), in singleton pregnancies (regression coefficient -0.012), and in multiple pregnancies (regression coefficient -0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum hCG concentrations were negatively associated with maternal prepregnancy BMI. One possible explanation may be an effect of adipose tissue-derived signaling molecules on hCG secretion by the implanting embryo.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway. anne.eskild@medisin.uio.no
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Eskild
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Fedorcsak
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Mørkrid
authors: Tom G
authors: TG
authors: Tanbo
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood*; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000097:blood*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human