ELEVATED 2ND-TRIMESTER HUMAN CHORIONIC-GONADOTROPIN LEVELS IN ASSOCIATION WITH POOR PREGNANCY OUTCOME

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether abnormal pregnancy out come is associated with elevated maternal serum human chorionic gonado tropin levels. STUDY DESIGN: Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and huma n chorionic gonadotropin levels were measured in stored second-trimest er serum obtained before scheduled genetic amniocentesis from 126 wome n with poor pregnancy outcomes, excluding aneuploidy and structural ab normalities (complications group), and 126 matched women with normal o utcomes (control group). RESULTS: More women with complications had el evated human chorionic gonadotropin levels (greater than or equal to 2 .0 multiples of the median) (14%) than did control women (3%) (p = 0.0 1). Both elevated human chorionic gonadotropin and maternal serum alph a-fetoprotein levels were significantly associated with preterm delive ry and fetal death. Elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein was sign ificantly associated with early postamniocentesis complications and fe tal growth restriction, whereas elevated human chorionic gonadotropin was associated with preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: Elevated human chorionic gonadotropin, similar to unexplained elevated maternal serum alpha-fe toprotein, is significantly associated with abnormal pregnancy outcome s.