A. Khalil et al., INHIBIN IN NORMAL AND ABNORMAL PREGNANCY - MATERNAL SERUM CONCENTRATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 172(3), 1995, pp. 1019-1025
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated maternal serum inhibin concentration a
nd molecular distribution in normal and abnormal pregnancies. STUDY DE
SIGN: Serum inhibin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 33 abn
ormal pregnancies (23 singleton and 10 multiple gestations) and 33 mat
ched controls and were compared with pregnancy variables. RESULTS: In
the controls serum inhibin concentrations rose with gestational age (c
orrelation coefficient 0.358, p < 0.01) and were higher in mothers wit
h female fetuses (p < 0.05). Inhibin levels were higher in the abnorma
l singleton pregnancies (2.69 +/- 1.41 ng/ml) than in controls (1.26 /- 0.32 ng/ml, p < 0.0001) and increased more rapidly with gestational
age in multiple pregnancies (p < 0.05). Gel filtration chromatographi
c analysis of immunoreactive inhibin revealed three peaks with the maj
or form having an apparent molecular weight of 55 to 60 kd. CONCLUSION
: Maternal serum inhibin concentrations are affected by gestational ag
e, fetal gender, and complications of pregnancy. Most of the immunorea
ctive inhibin in maternal circulation is a large-molecular-weight form
.