Inhibin A levels and severity of preeclampsia

Objective  To evaluate the use of third trimester inhibin A levels to assess the severity of preeclampsia. Materials and methods  Blood samples were taken from women diagnosed with mild and severe preeclampsia during the third trimester of pregnancy. Blood samples were collected in plain tubes, centrifuged and stored at −80°C until analyzed. All serum samples were measured for inhibin A levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results  Inhibin A levels were greater in the severe (1,435.9 ± 603.2 pg/mL) than in the mild preeclampsia group (1,021.9 ± 438.8 pg/mL, P = 0.014). Conclusion  Inhibin A levels rise with increasing severity of disease. However, there is considerable overlap of serum inhibin A levels in women with mild and severe preeclampsia. Inhibin A is therefore not a useful adjunct for the classification of preeclampsia. This abstract was presented at the 15th Congress of the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatol Societies, Nagoya, Japan.