Habitual abortion is accompanied by low serum levels of placental protein 14 in the luteal phase of the fertile cycle.

OBJECTIVE

To study serum levels of placental protein 14 (PP14) in relation to endometrial function in women with a history of habitual abortion.

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

Departments I and II of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

PATIENTS: Fifty patients (26 primary and 24 secondary habitual aborters) and 38 controls without a history of abortion studied during a regular cycle.

RESULTS

Habitual aborters as a whole or when subgrouped into those with normal cycles (n = 40) or with a luteal phase defect (LPD; n = 10) and control women demonstrated a distinct increase in PP14 levels from late follicular to late luteal phases. In the luteal phase, serum PP14 levels were lower in the patients than in the controls (27.2 +/- 3.1 versus 48.5 +/- 10.1 micrograms/L), but the differences in PP14 levels between habitual aborters with or without LPD was not significant (16.3 +/- 4.3 versus 29.9 +/- 3.7 micrograms/L).

CONCLUSIONS

Habitual aborters exhibit lower serum PP14 levels in the late luteal phase compared with normal fertile women.