Human Reproduction, Vol. 15, No. 7, 1640-1645,
July 2000
© 2000 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Serum inhibin A and activin A are elevated prior to the onset of pre-eclampsia
1 Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK, 2 Research Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National Women's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand and 3 School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BH, UK
Serum inhibin A and activin A concentrations increase in pre-eclampsia. We investigated the time courses of the changes in relation to the onset of the maternal syndrome and if their measurement could be useful for clinical prediction particularly in relation to early onset disease, the most severe of the clinical presentations. Serial samples were taken from 1496 healthy nulliparae. Changes in activin A and inhibin A were analysed in women with: early onset pre-eclampsia (n = 11), pre-eclampsia delivering at 34–36 weeks (n = 14), term pre-eclampsia (n = 25) and gestational hypertension (n = 25); and in a subset with uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 25). Serum inhibin A and activin A were increased in all groups prior to pre-eclampsia, before 20 weeks in those with early onset pre-eclampsia. Screening efficacy was determined at 15–19 and 21–25 weeks in all women who developed pre-eclampsia (n = 70) and randomly selected controls (n = 240). Predictive sensitivities were low (16–59%) but much better for early onset pre-eclampsia: 67 and 44% at 15–19 weeks and 89 and 89% at 21–25 weeks for inhibin A and activin A respectively. Hence, serum inhibin A and activin A concentrations increase before the onset of pre-eclampsia at gestational ages that depend on when pre-eclampsia develops. On their own such measures are unlikely to prove efficient for screening.
Key words: activin A/gestational hypertension/inhibin A/pre-eclampsia/pregnancy
4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. E-mail:shantim{at}gwmail.jr2.ox.ac.uk
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  E. Fitzpatrick, M.P. Johnson, T.D. Dyer, S. Forrest, K. Elliott, J. Blangero, S.P. Brennecke, and E.K. Moses Genetic association of the activin A receptor gene (ACVR2A) and pre-eclampsia Mol. Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2009; 15(3): 195 - 204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Barakat, A. E O'Connor, E. Gold, D. M de Kretser, and K. L Loveland Inhibin, activin, follistatin and FSH serum levels and testicular production are highly modulated during the first spermatogenic wave in mice Reproduction, September 1, 2008; 136(3): 345 - 359. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Mandang, U. Manuelpillai, and E. M Wallace Oxidative stress increases placental and endothelial cell activin A secretion J. Endocrinol., March 1, 2007; 192(3): 485 - 493. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. L Jones, C. Stoikos, J. K Findlay, and L. A Salamonsen TGF-{beta} superfamily expression and actions in the endometrium and placenta. Reproduction, August 1, 2006; 132(2): 217 - 232. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C Bearfield, E Jauniaux, N Groome, I L Sargent, and S Muttukrishna The secretion and effect of inhibin A, activin A and follistatin on first-trimester trophoblasts in vitro Eur. J. Endocrinol., June 1, 2005; 152(6): 909 - 916. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Muttukrishna, C. Bearfield, J. Johns, and E. Jauniaux Inhibin, activin, follistatin, activin receptors and {beta}-glycan gene expression in the villous tissue of miscarriage patients Mol. Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2004; 10(11): 793 - 798. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. S. Tannetta, S. Muttukrishna, N. P. Groome, C. W. G. Redman, and I. L. Sargent Endothelial Cells and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Are a Potential Source of Extraplacental Activin A in Preeclampsia J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2003; 88(12): 5995 - 6001. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Casagrandi, C. Bearfield, J. Geary, C.W. Redman, and S. Muttukrishna Inhibin, activin, follistatin, activin receptors and {beta}-glycan gene expression in the placental tissue of patients with pre-eclampsia Mol. Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2003; 9(4): 199 - 203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Lahiri, C.J. Anobile, P. Stewart, and W.L. Ledger Changes in circulating concentrations of inhibins A and pro-{alpha} C during first trimester medical termination of pregnancy Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2003; 18(4): 744 - 748. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Muttukrishna, E. Jauniaux, N. Greenwold, H. McGarrigle, S. Jivraj, S. Carter, S. Elgaddal, N. Groome, and L. Regan Circulating levels of inhibin A, activin A and follistatin in missed and recurrent miscarriages Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2002; 17(12): 3072 - 3078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. M. Reis, D. D'Antona, and F. Petraglia Predictive Value of Hormone Measurements in Maternal and Fetal Complications of Pregnancy Endocr. Rev., April 1, 2002; 23(2): 230 - 257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Muttukrishna, R.A. North, J. Morris, J-C. Schellenberg, R.S. Taylor, J. Asselin, W. Ledger, N. Groome, and C. Redman Correction to paper published in Human Reproduction: Serum inhibin A and activin A are elevated prior to the onset of pre eclampsia' Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2001; 16(11): 2477 - 2477. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. N. Leung, J. Zhang, T. K. Lau, L. Y.S. Chan, and Y.M. D. Lo Increased Maternal Plasma Fetal DNA Concentrations in Women Who Eventually Develop Preeclampsia. Clin. Chem., January 1, 2001; 47(1): 137 - 139. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|