Associations between serum placental leucine aminopeptidase and pregnancy outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between serum concentrations of placental leucine aminopeptidase (P-LAP) and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and perinatal mortality.


METHODS
In a prospective study, women with singleton pregnancies and affected by HDP, GDM, or fetal death, and those who were healthy, were enrolled at Shenzhen Seventh People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China, between January 2014 and July 2015. Serum P-LAP concentrations at delivery/fetal death were compared among the groups. The predictive value of serum P-LAP levels in fetal death was evaluated.


RESULTS
Serum P-LAP concentrations were (mean ± SEM) 74.02 ± 8.45 U/L in the HDP group (n=38), 72.57 ± 12.03 U/L in the GDM group (n=35), and 3.76 ± 3.02 U/L in the fetal death group (n=14), all of which were significantly lower than the mean concentration of 107.11 ± 30.68 U/L in the control group (n=30; P=0.031, P=0.042, and P<0.001, respectively). On the basis of the receiver operating characteristic curve, low serum P-LAP levels had high sensitivity and specificity for predicting fetal death (100% and 78.9%, respectively, for a serum P-LAP cutoff of 47.07 U/L).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum P-LAP levels were reduced among patients with HDP and GDM, and extremely low among patients affected by fetal death. Serum P-LAP is potentially a viable predictor of fetal death.
Department of Obstetrics, Shenzhen Seventh People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: sztcf888@163.com.
Chunfang
C
Tian
Medical School of Shantou University, Shantou, China.
Zhihang
Z
Huang
Department of Obstetrics, Shenzhen Seventh People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Zhanchong
Z
Wen
D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D010122:Cystinyl Aminopeptidase / Q000097:blood*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D055815:Young Adult
D010122:Cystinyl Aminopeptidase; C105964:leucyl-cystinyl aminopeptidase
Gestational diabetes mellitus; Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; Perinatal mortality; Placental leucine aminopeptidase; Predictive value