First trimester assessment of Pentraxin-3 levels in women with primary unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss

Objective: To evaluate the potential role of measuring first-trimester maternal Pentraxin-3 levels in patients with primary unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. Study design: A case control study was conducted in Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital. Cases included 45 women with primary unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss and early pregnancy failure admitted for medical or surgical termination of pregnancy. Controls (45 women) included a matched group of apparently healthy pregnant women who had at least one previous uneventful pregnancy with no previous obstetric history of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal venous blood samples were collected for assay of Pentraxin-3 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The main outcome measure was the pregnancy outcome in women with elevated Pentraxin-3 levels. Results: 90 participants were statistically analyzed. In the patient group, the mean Pentraxin-3 level was 12.00 +/- 4.07 ng/ml, while in the control group it was 1.69 +/- 0.91 ng/ml. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In the patient group, Pentraxin-3 showed a significant positive correlation with the number of previous miscarriages (p = 0.038). Conclusion: Abnormally elevated Pentraxin-3 levels indicate the presence of an abnormally exaggerated intrauterine inflammatory or innate immune response that may cause pregnancy failure in women with primary unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.