[Blood serum laminin in gravidae with threatened abortion]

The aim of the study was to compare the serum laminin levels in patients with threatened abortion and healthy gravidae with uncomplicated pregnancy.

Twenty five pregnant women with menstrual arrest period ranging from 7 to 22 weeks, presenting with symptoms of threatened abortion (TA), were included into the study. Control group consisted of 25 healthy gravidae with uneventful course of pregnancy matched for the gestational age. Blood serum laminin was quantified by means of ELISA method using commercially available kits.

Average serum laminin levels (S-L) measured in gravidae with threatened abortion was significantly higher than that of the control group. In patient with sonographically diagnosed trophoblast ablation the serum laminin was significantly elevated in comparison with the remaining patients of TA group, who had no sonographic abnormalities found. The patients with favorable outcome had mean serum laminin significantly lower than that of the patients with subsequent pregnancy loss.

The observed difference in serum laminin level between patients with TA and patients with uncomplicated pregnancy seems to result from the release of laminin from trophoblast in cases when the integrity of the decidual/conceptual interface is disintegrated. This hypothesis is further supported by the finding of the high S-L in patients with the ablation of trophoblast. The obtained results suggest the prognostic value of S-L measurements in patients with imminent abortion.