Maternal serum inhibin A concentrations in early pregnancy after IVF and embryo transfer reflect the corpus luteum contribution and pregnancy outcome

Abstract

To compare maternal serum inhibin A concentrations in early pregnancy with pregnancy outcomes and treatment protocols, serum samples were collected from 237 women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer cycles. Samples were collected on day 16 after oocyte retrieval for beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) pregnancy testing and inhibin A measurement. The samples were divided into non-pregnant (n = 128) and pregnant (n = 109) groups, the pregnancies were followed and outcomes determined. Inhibin A concentrations were significantly lower in non-pregnant women than in women with ongoing pregnancies (P: < 0.001) and those resulting in spontaneous abortions (P: < 0.001). In ongoing pregnancies, inhibin A concentrations were significantly lower in the absence of functioning ovaries (donor oocyte/embryo) (P: < 0.01) and in natural cycles (frozen-thawed embryo transfer) (P: < 0.01) compared with concentrations after ovarian stimulation. Further, since inhibin A concentrations were not significantly different between singleton and multiple pregnancies in the ovarian stimulation protocol, the size of the early trophoblast does not appear to influence the secretion of inhibin A. These data strongly support the concept that the corpus luteum is a major source of circulating inhibin A in early pregnancy. Additionally, low concentrations of serum inhibin A may be useful in predicting betaHCG-positive preclinical 'biochemical' pregnancies.

Serum biomarkers of tubal ectopic pregnancy: current candidates and future possibilities

“…Although inhibin A is produced by the trophoblast, the corpus luteum is the major source of inhibin A in early pregnancy (Treetampinich et al 2000). Serum dimeric inhibin A and pro-a-C inhibin were lower in women with tubal ectopic pregnancies than ongoing intrauterine pregnancies (Illingworth et al 1996, Seifer et al 1996 and fell more precipitously than hCG after treatment for ectopic pregnancy due to its shorter half-life (D'Antona et al 1998).…”

Pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines in threatened miscarriages

“…[24][25][26][27] It has been shown that after TM, maternal serum inhibin A in combination with other serum markers, such as hCG, are altered in women who subsequently have a first-trimester miscarriage. 28,29 The biomarkers that give the best predictive values are a combination of se-rum progesterone and ␤hCG, with a sensitivity of 88.1% and specificity of 84.3%. 30 However, no biomarker of inflammation in the peripheral maternal blood has been validated sufficiently to be of any clinical use in counseling women with TM regarding their risks of subsequent miscarriage and other complications or for providing advice about the benefit of specific treatment to reduce these risks.…”

Chronic Ovarian Pregnancy Mimicking an Ovarian Tumor Diagnosed by Peritoneal Washing Cytology

“…The corpus luteum is a major source of circulating inhibin A in early pregnancy. 6 In our case, the ovary with ectopic pregnancy revealed extensive hemorrhage and necrosis. Although the inhibin level was not checked, we suggest that the extremely destroyed corpus luteum could not produce sufficient inhibin A to suppress both the synthesis and the secretion of FSH, resulting in initiation of the menstrual cycle.…”