Comparison of maternal serum total activin A and inhibin A in normal, preeclamptic, and nonproteinuric gestationally hypertensive pregnancies,

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare maternal serum levels of activin A and inhibin A in pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia, pregnancy complicated by gestational hypertension, and normal pregnancy from 25 to 42 weeks’ gestation. Study Design: Activin A and inhibin A levels were measured by 2-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 60 subjects with preeclampsia, 60 control normotensive pregnant women matched for gestational age, and 51 unmatched subjects with gestational hypertension. Results: Activin A levels were higher in the preeclampsia group (median 31.5 ng/mL and interquartile range 10.5 ng/mL) than in the control group (median 10.6 ng/mL and interquartile range 9.5 ng/mL, P< .0001) and the gestational hypertension group (median 21.4 ng/mL and interquartile range 15.2 ng/mL, P< .003). Inhibin A levels were greater in the preeclampsia group (median 1833 pg/mL and interquartile range 1464 pg/mL) than in control subjects (median 698 pg/mL and interquartile range 583 pg/mL, P< .0001). Control levels were significantly related to gestational age. Conclusions: Levels of both analytes were greater in preeclampsia and activin A levels were greater in gestational hypertension than in normotensive pregnancy. These analytes may prove to be clinically useful laboratory markers for preeclampsia. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:1131-7.)