URINARY BETA-CORE FRAGMENT AS A PREDICTOR OF ABNORMAL PREGNANCY AT 4-6 WEEKS GESTATION

Currently, transvaginal ultrasound and serial serum beta-hCG measureme nts are used to differentiate normal versus abnormal gestations in the first trimester of pregnancy. These techniques have been found to be ineffective when the gestations are earlier than 6 weeks. This study w as conducted to determine if urinary beta-core fragment, the urine deg radation product of beta-hCG, could be used to distinguish normal from abnormal gestations between 4 and 6 weeks. Urine samples were obtaine d from 27 patients on initial presentation to the emergency room or ou tpatient settings with gestations at 4-6 weeks by sure last menstrual period. The urine was then frozen at -40 degrees C and sent for beta-c ore assay analysis. Eighteen women with normal intrauterine pregnancie s and nine abnormal pregnancies, including ectopics and spontaneous ab ortions, were studied. Pearson correlations were performed with a p < 0.05 considered significant. In the normal gestations, there was a pos itive correlation between beta-core fragment and gestational age at 4- 6 weeks (r = 0.461, p < 0.05). This correlation was not evident in abn ormal gestations (r = 0.360, p = 0.34). In early pregnancy, beta-core fragment correlates positively with gestational age which is not appar ent in abnormal counterparts. This finding suggests that urinary beta- core fragment may be a promising marker to differentiate normal early pregnancies from abnormal gestations.