Circulating levels of inhibin A, activin A and follistatin in missed and recurrent miscarriages

OBJECTIVE: Interest has focused recently on the influences of the polypeptide factors inhibin and activin on the selective regulation of the pituitary secretion of gonadotropins. DESIGN: Measurement of the concentrations of inhibin-related proteins in relation to the changes in pituitary gonadotropin (FSH, LH) parameters, after GnRH stimulation with a bolus injection of 100 microg gonadorelin, in 19 women with ovulatory disturbances. METHODS: Serum levels of inhibin A and B, activin A, and pro alpha-C were measured using sensitive ELISA kits. RESULTS: Within 60 min after GnRH stimulation, FSH values doubled from 5 to 10 mU/ml (P < 0.001). LH increased 12-fold from 2 to 24 mU/ml (P < 0.001). Activin A showed a significant decrease from 0.47 to 0.36 ng/ml (P < 0.001), whereas pro alpha-C increased from 127 to 156 pg/ml (P = 0.039). The median inhibin A concentration did not show a significant change between baseline and the 60 min value, whereas inhibin B was characterized by a minor, but not significant, increase in the median from 168 to 179 pg/ml (P = 0.408). A significant inverse correlation (P = 0.014) with a mean coefficient of correlation of 0.5516 was found, demonstrating a strong relationship between high inhibin B baseline levels and a small increase of FSH after 60 min. CONCLUSION: Our results show an interesting correlation between the baseline inhibin B and the change in FSH before and after GnRH stimulation. A high baseline inhibin B implies only a minor increase of FSH after 60 min.

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Production of inhibin A and inhibin B in boars: Changes in testicular and circulating levels of dimeric inhibins and characterization of inhibin forms during testis growth

Domestic Animal Endocrinology ◽

10.1016/j.domaniend.2006.08.004 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 410-421 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Katsuhiko Ohnuma ◽

Hiroyuki Kaneko ◽

Junko Noguchi ◽

Kazuhiro Kikuchi ◽

Manabu Ozawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inhibin B ◽

Inhibin A ◽

Circulating Levels

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Pregnancy-associated and placental proteins in the placental tissue of normal pregnant women and patients with pre-eclampsia at term

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/eje.0.1470785 ◽

2002 ◽

pp. 785-793 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

NA Bersinger ◽

N Groome ◽

S Muttukrishna

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Protein A ◽

Placental Tissue ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Activin A ◽

Placental Lactogen ◽

Compensatory Mechanism ◽

Protein Markers ◽

Inhibin A ◽

Placental Disease

OBJECTIVE: Pre-eclampsia is a placental disease of unknown cause. Maternal circulating concentrations of a number of protein markers are altered (mainly increased) in pre-eclampsia in comparison with controls of matched gestational age. Inhibin A and activin A were found to be elevated even before the onset of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of inhibin A, activin A: follistatin ratio, leptin, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), human placental lactogen (HPL), placenta growth factor (PLGF) and pregnancy-specific beta1-glycoprotein (SP1) in placental extracts of normal pregnant women and pre-eclampsia patients at term. METHODS: Placental tissue from normal pregnancies (n=14) and patients with pre-eclampsia (n=13) were collected at term (> or =37 weeks of gestation) and stored at -80 degrees C. The frozen tissue pieces were homogenised and the above-mentioned proteins were measured by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Placental contents of inhibin A and PAPP-A were significantly higher (P<0.05) in pre-eclampsia placental extracts compared with the controls. Activin A:follistatin ratio was higher (23) in pre-eclampsia extracts than in the controls (15). Leptin, PLGF, SP1 and HPL levels were not altered in the term pre-eclampsia placenta. Inhibin A and PAPP-A contents were increased in the placental extracts of pre-eclampsia patients. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the placenta, possibly by a compensatory mechanism, is at least in part responsible for the altered serum levels observed in pre-eclampsia.

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