MR-proANP, a cardiovascular biomarker to predict late-onset preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restricted fetuses.

Objectives: Midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) is a cardiac biomarker and the maternal serum levels could predict late-onset preeclampsia (PE) or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) at third trimester of pregnancy.

Methods: We measured MR-proANP between 32 and 37 weeks of pregnancy prospectively: 32 patients suffered from PE and 22 developed IUGR. 676 patients exhibited no pregnancy complications.

Afamin: an early predictor of preeclampsia.

Purpose: Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia (PE) and associated with the human vitamin E-binding protein afamin. The aim of this study was, therefore, to analyse afamin in the first trimester of patients developing PE later in pregnancy and in control subjects without pregnancy complications.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 137 serum samples from the first trimester of pregnancy were analysed in a case-control study design.

Predictive value of sFlt-1, PlGF, sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and PAPP-A for late-onset preeclampsia and IUGR between 32 and 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate, whether maternal serum levels of sFlt-1, PlGF and PAPP-A at third trimester of pregnancy are associated with late-onset PE and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) after 34 weeks of pregnancy.

Methods: This was a prospective study measuring the maternal serum levels of soluble tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) at 32-37 weeks of pregnancy: 730 patients were enrolled and 676 had neither intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) nor preeclampsia (PE) or pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) throughout the pregnancy. 22 patients developed IUGR, 32 PE and 24 PIH.

Follistatin during pregnancy and its potential role as an ovarian suppressing agent.

Objective: Ovarian quiescence is a common condition during pregnancy. In vitro, follistatin, an antagonist of follicle-stimulating hormone, blocks follicular development at early stages, and its serum levels increase during pregnancy. A possible surrogate biomarker of ovarian arrest during pregnancy is a decrease in anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels followed by an increase in these levels on the second day after labor.

Maternal serum copeptin, MR-proANP and procalcitonin levels at 11-13 weeks gestation in the prediction of preeclampsia.

Purpose: We investigated the potential value of maternal serum copeptin, midregional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) and Procalcitonin (PCT) levels at 11-13 weeks' gestation in the prediction of preeclampsia (PE) in a case-control study.

Materials And Methods: Maternal serum concentration of copeptin, MR-proANP and PCT were measured at 11-13 weeks' gestation in cases of PE (n = 35) and controls (n = 100). The PE group was divided into early-onset PE (EO-PE) and late-onset PE (LO-PE).