Early conceptual loss in subfertile patients

Area of Science:

• Reproductive endocrinology
• Clinical biochemistry

Background:

• Subfertility affects numerous couples globally.
• Early pregnancy loss, including biochemical losses, is a significant concern in reproductive medicine.
• Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a key marker for pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence of 'apparent' early conceptual loss in subfertile women.
• To correlate elevated hCG levels in non-pregnancy cycles with subsequent fertility outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Serum and urine hCG levels were measured during the luteal phase in 27 subfertile women.
• Follow-up assessed clinical pregnancy achievement.

Main Results:

• Eleven patients achieved clinical pregnancies.
• Nine of the eleven pregnant patients showed elevated hCG in prior non-pregnancy cycles.
• Only three of the 16 non-pregnant patients had elevated hCG levels.

Conclusions:

• Elevated hCG levels in non-pregnancy cycles appear more common in women who eventually achieve pregnancy.
• This finding may suggest that 'apparent' early conceptual loss is associated with a higher underlying fertility potential.