Are Serum Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor a Marker for the Early Diagnosis of Ectopic Pregnancy?

NCT01261026 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: JEJ-060866
• Study Type: observational
• Target: N/A
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations in women with ectopic pregnancy (EP), abnormal intrauterine pregnancy (aIUP) and normal intrauterine pregnancy (nIUP). METHODS: This was a prospective, case-control study comparing serum VEGF concentrations among 72 women with ectopic pregnancy (n=35), abnormal IUP (n=15) and normal IUP (n=22) matched for gestational age. For the determination of serum VEGF concentration a solid phase sandwich ELISA was used. Patients were stratified according to serum VEGF above or below 200pg/mL. RESULTS: The serum level of VEGF was significantly higher in women with ectopic pregnancy (median 211.1 pg/mL; range 5 - 1017.0 pg/mL) than in women with normal IUP (median 5 pg/mL; range 5- 310.6 pg/mL) P \< 0.0001. Serum VEGF concentrations did not show any statistically significant difference between women with aIUP (median 231.9 pg/mL range 5 - 813.7 pg /mL ) and EP (median 211.1 pg/mL range 5 - 1017.0 pg/mL). When cut-off concentrations of 200 pg/mL for VEGF were used, a nIUP could be distinguished from an unviable (EP and aIUP) with a sensitive of 53%, specificity of 90.9%, a positive predictive value of 92.9% and a negative predictive value of 46.5%.. CONCLUSIONS: Serum VEGF could not distinguish between an EP and an aIUP. However, serum VEGF concentrations above 200 pg/mL could discriminate a nIUP from an unviable pregnancy (EP or aIUP) with a PPV of 92.9%.

Conditions

Ectopic Pregnancy

Study Arms (2)

Ectopic pregnancy, extra-uterine pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy, control

Abnormal intrauterine pregnancy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: female
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

ectopic pregnancy abnormal intrauterine pregnancy normal intrauterine pregnancy

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Federal University of São Paulo: lead

Study Sites (1)

Federal University of São Paulo

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Ugurlu EN, Ozaksit G, Karaer A, Zulfikaroglu E, Atalay A, Ugur M. The value of vascular endothelial growth factor, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, and progesterone for early differentiation of ectopic pregnancies, normal intrauterine pregnancies, and spontaneous miscarriages. Fertil Steril. 2009 May;91(5):1657-61. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.02.002. Epub 2008 Apr 9.

  PMID: 18402945 RESULT

• Daponte A, Pournaras S, Zintzaras E, Kallitsaris A, Lialios G, Maniatis AN, Messinis IE. The value of a single combined measurement of VEGF, glycodelin, progesterone, PAPP-A, HPL and LIF for differentiating between ectopic and abnormal intrauterine pregnancy. Hum Reprod. 2005 Nov;20(11):3163-6. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dei218. Epub 2005 Jul 29.

  PMID: 16055453 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pregnancy, Ectopic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pregnancy Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 15, 2010
• First Posted: December 16, 2010
• Last Updated: December 16, 2010

Record last verified: 2007-12

Locations

BR (1)