MATERNAL SERUM HUMAN CHORIONIC-GONADOTROPIN LEVEL AT 15 WEEKS IS A PREDICTOR FOR PREECLAMPSIA

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to study the correlation between maternal s erum human chorionic gonadotropin levels measured at 15 to 18 weeks of amenorrhea and pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and smal l-for-gestational-age neonates. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective trisomy 21 h uman chorionic gonadotropin screening data from 5776 patients were exa mined in a retrospective investigation of the relationship between hum an chorionic gonadotropin and pregnancy-induced hypertension (234 case s), preeclampsia (34 cases), and small-for-gestational-age neonates (2 38 cases). RESULTS: Maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (multi ples of the median) was higher in the three populations with pathologi c disorders. This difference was statistically significant in patients with small-for-gestational-age neonates (p < 0.0163) and preeclampsia (p < 0.0001) but not in those with pregnancy-induced hypertension. In the preeclampsia subgroup, with a cutoff value of 2 multiples of the median, specificity was 32% and sensitivity was 10%, with a cutoff val ue of 1 multiples of the median, specificity was 100% and sensitivity was 50%. CONCLUSION: High maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels at 15 weeks are related to a risk for preeclampsia. Depending o n the human chorionic gonadotropin cutoff value, 32% or 100% of preecl ampsia patients would be selected. The usefulness of preventive aspiri n treatment from the fifteenth week needs more investigation in a larg er multicenter study of preeclampsia.