title: 2D-Ultrasound and endocrinologic evaluation of placentation in early pregnancy and its relationship to fetal birthweight in normal pregnancies and pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationships between 2D ultrasound measurements of placentation and maternal serum (MS) levels of PAPP-A, inhibin A and fβhCG in early pregnancy and subsequent fetal growth in pregnancies with a normal and abnormal outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective population-based cohort study of 301 pregnancies with a normal outcome, 18 with a pregnancy complicated by pre-term delivery (PTD) and 14 with subsequent pre-eclampsia (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Basal placental surface area, placental thickness, ellipsivity and volume; MS PAPP-A and fβhCG at 11-13 + 6 weeks, MS inhibin A at 15-22 weeks and birthweight centile at delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the normal group, the basal surface area showed a significantly (P < 0.001) positive correlation with placental thickness and placental ellipsivity. With the exception of placental ellipsivity, all other placental ultrasound parameters were significantly related with birthweight centile. Inhibin A showed a significant (P < 0.005) correlation with birthweight centiles. The basal plate surface area and MS PAPP-A were significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) lower and MS inhibin A significantly (P < 0.01) higher in PE than in controls. No changes were found in pregnancies complicated by PTD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The basal plate surface area at 11-14 weeks reflects indirectly normal and abnormal placentation and development of the definitive placenta. Combined with MS PAPP-A and/or inhibin A levels this parameter could be useful in identifying from the end of the first trimester, pregnancies subsequently complicated with PE.
authors.affiliation: UCL EGA Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muttukrishna
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jauniaux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010929:Placentation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; C422362:inhibin A; C094377:inhibin-alpha subunit; D007265:Inhibins; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A; C579283:PAPPA protein, human
keywords: Placenta; Placental hormones; Placental volume; Pre-eclampsia