Y S Lin1, C H Liu. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was performed on the conception hormones of early pregnancy in order to examine their sensitivity and predictability for early pregnancy loss. METHODS: The serum levels of progesterone, estradiol and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were measured and analyzed at 5-8 weeks of gestation in pregnancies occurring both with and without ovarian stimulation. RESULTS: If a level of < 10 ng/ml of progesterone was chosen as the cut-off value for the prediction of early pregnancy loss, the sensitivity and specificity were 56% and 98%, respectively. The optimal cut-off value was chosen at < 0.5 multiples of the median (MoM) and < 0.4 MoM for estradiol and hCG, respectively. This gave a sensitivity of 80% for estradiol and 85% for hCG, and a specificity of 93% for estradiol and 81% for hCG at week 8 of gestation. CONCLUSION: The combined determination of conception hormones is an efficacious method of monitoring early pregnancy and may be used for predicting outcome.
OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was performed on the conception hormones of early pregnancy in order to examine their sensitivity and predictability for early pregnancy loss. METHODS: The serum levels of progesterone, estradiol and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were measured and analyzed at 5-8 weeks of gestation in pregnancies occurring both with and without ovarian stimulation. RESULTS: If a level of < 10 ng/ml of progesterone was chosen as the cut-off value for the prediction of early pregnancy loss, the sensitivity and specificity were 56% and 98%, respectively. The optimal cut-off value was chosen at < 0.5 multiples of the median (MoM) and < 0.4 MoM for estradiol and hCG, respectively. This gave a sensitivity of 80% for estradiol and 85% for hCG, and a specificity of 93% for estradiol and 81% for hCG at week 8 of gestation. CONCLUSION: The combined determination of conception hormones is an efficacious method of monitoring early pregnancy and may be used for predicting outcome.