CIRCULATING LEVELS OF PLACENTAL PROTEIN-14 IN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

Objective To determine circulating levels of placental protein 14 (PP1 4) in complications of early pregnancy. Design Biochemical monitoring of women presenting with vaginal bleeding and/or abdominal pain. Setti ng An emergency gynaecological ultrasound clinic in a London teaching hospital. Subjects Venous blood samples were obtained from 67 women wi th normal pregnancy (n = 9), ectopic pregnancy (n = 26) and failed int rauterine pregnancy (n = 32). This group included anembryonic pregnanc y (n = 18), missed miscarriage (n = 2), spontaneous miscarriage of a p reviously demonstrated live fetus (n = 6), incomplete miscarriage (n = 4), complete miscarriage (n = 1) and molar pregnancy (n = 1). Main ou tcome measures Serum PP14 levels in the group of women with a failed i ntrauterine pregnancy in relation to the normal range for PP14. Result s Eighty-one percent of women who miscarried spontaneously had normal serum PP14 levels; 81 % of women with ectopic pregnancy had depressed (< 5th centile) serum PP14 levels. Conclusion Measurements of PP14 may be useful in distinguishing spontaneous miscarriage from ectopic preg nancy, but not in the management of threatened miscarriage.