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Second and early third trimester atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in pregnancies subsequently complicated by
T K Chung1, M S Rogers, S Baldwin
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, HOng Kong.
Objective:
To explore the clinical utility of measuring atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the second and early third trimesters of pregnancy in order to predict pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).
Methods And Materials:
The study was done in a University Teaching Hospital. A prospective study of 200 women in their first pregnancy was conducted. ANP was measured at 2 gestational windows, 20-26 weeks and 30-34 weeks. This was correlated with pregnancy outcomes, in particular PIH. Student's t-test was used to compare ANP levels between women who developed PIH and those who did not. The receiver operator curve (ROC) was used to determine its clinical utility.
Results:
ANP levels were lower at 20-26 weeks in women who subsequently developed PIH but there was no significant difference at 30-34 weeks between women who had normotensive pregnancies and those who later developed PIH. The character of the ROC would indicate that it is not useful for prediction.
Conclusion:
ANP levels in the second and early third trimesters has limited clinical utility for the prediction of PIH.