Abstract CONTEXT: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is an important cause of maternal deaths in early pregnancy because most fatal cases result from delayed diagnosis and inappropriate investigation. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether the measurement of activin A may be useful in the diagnosis of EP in women with unknown pregnancy location. DESIGN: The study was designed as an open observational study. SETTING: The study was set in a tertiary referral center for obstetric care. PATIENTS: Patients were women with unknown pregnancy location (n = 536) who had complaints of bleeding, pain, or cramping. INTERVENTIONS: Interventions included clinical examination; transvaginal ultrasound scan; human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone, and activin A measurements; laparoscopy; uterine curettage; and histological examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome measures were pregnancy outcomes and evaluation of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of hCG, progesterone, and activin A as diagnostic tests for the detection of EP. RESULTS: Pregnancy outcomes included 155 (28.9%) viable intrauterine pregnancies (IUP), 305 (56.9%) first-trimester spontaneous abortion (SAB), and 76 (14.2%) EP. SAB had the lowest (P < 0.0001) hCG and progesterone concentrations, significantly lower than EP (P < 0.001) and IUP (P < 0.001). In EP, levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than in IUP. On the contrary, activin A levels were lowest (P < 0.0001) in EP, significantly lower than in SAB (P < 0.001) and IUP (P < 0.001). IUP had significantly (P < 0.001) lower activin A levels than SAB. When evaluated by the receiver operating curve analysis, activin A at the cutoff of 0.37 ng/ml combined a sensitivity and a specificity of 100 and 99.6%, respectively, for prediction of EP. When activin A concentrations were below the cutoff, the positive predictive value for EP was 97.43%, and 0% for concentrations higher than 0.37 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Activin A measurement may identify patients at risk of EP with a high sensibility and specificity.
Single serum activin a testing to predict ectopic pregnancy / Florio, Pasquale; Severi, Filiberto Maria; Bocchi, Caterina; Luisi, Stefano; Mazzini, Massimo; Danero, Secondo; Torricelli, Michela; Petraglia, Felice. - In: OBSTETRICAL & GYNECOLOGICAL SURVEY. - ISSN 0029-7828. - ELETTRONICO. - 64:(2009), pp. 311-312. [10.1097/01.ogx.0000347339.78617.96]
Single serum activin a testing to predict ectopic pregnancy
Petraglia, Felice
2009
Abstract
Abstract CONTEXT: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is an important cause of maternal deaths in early pregnancy because most fatal cases result from delayed diagnosis and inappropriate investigation. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether the measurement of activin A may be useful in the diagnosis of EP in women with unknown pregnancy location. DESIGN: The study was designed as an open observational study. SETTING: The study was set in a tertiary referral center for obstetric care. PATIENTS: Patients were women with unknown pregnancy location (n = 536) who had complaints of bleeding, pain, or cramping. INTERVENTIONS: Interventions included clinical examination; transvaginal ultrasound scan; human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone, and activin A measurements; laparoscopy; uterine curettage; and histological examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome measures were pregnancy outcomes and evaluation of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of hCG, progesterone, and activin A as diagnostic tests for the detection of EP. RESULTS: Pregnancy outcomes included 155 (28.9%) viable intrauterine pregnancies (IUP), 305 (56.9%) first-trimester spontaneous abortion (SAB), and 76 (14.2%) EP. SAB had the lowest (P < 0.0001) hCG and progesterone concentrations, significantly lower than EP (P < 0.001) and IUP (P < 0.001). In EP, levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than in IUP. On the contrary, activin A levels were lowest (P < 0.0001) in EP, significantly lower than in SAB (P < 0.001) and IUP (P < 0.001). IUP had significantly (P < 0.001) lower activin A levels than SAB. When evaluated by the receiver operating curve analysis, activin A at the cutoff of 0.37 ng/ml combined a sensitivity and a specificity of 100 and 99.6%, respectively, for prediction of EP. When activin A concentrations were below the cutoff, the positive predictive value for EP was 97.43%, and 0% for concentrations higher than 0.37 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Activin A measurement may identify patients at risk of EP with a high sensibility and specificity.
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