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. 1999 Dec;72(6):1013-7.
doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(99)00417-3.

Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor are elevated in patients with ectopic pregnancy: is this a novel marker?

Y Daniel  1 , E Geva, L Lerner-Geva, T Eshed-Englender, R Gamzu, J B Lessing, A Bar-Am, A Amit
Affiliations
Free article

Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor are elevated in patients with ectopic pregnancy: is this a novel marker?

Y Daniel et al. Fertil Steril. 1999 Dec.
Free article

Erratum in

  • Fertil Steril 2000 May;73(5):1072

Abstract

Objective: To determine serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and evaluate their capacity to serve as a marker for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy (EP).

Design: Prospective, case-controlled study.

Setting: A tertiary care center.

Patient(s): Twenty women with EP, 10 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy, and 10 women with abnormal intrauterine pregnancy, all at comparable stages of gestation.

Intervention(s): Serum samples were obtained from all women.

Main outcome measure(s): All samples were analyzed for VEGF, progesterone, and beta-hCG by specific methods.

Result(s): Women with EP had higher serum levels of VEGF than women with normal intrauterine pregnancy and women with abnormal intrauterine pregnancy (median levels, 226.8 pg/mL, 24.4 pg/mL, and 59.4 pg/mL, respectively). With a cutoff level of 200 pg/mL, serum VEGF could distinguish intrauterine from extrauterine pregnancy with a sensitivity of 60%, specificity of 90%, and positive predictive value of 86%.

Conclusion(s): The increased serum VEGF levels in women with EP may facilitate this challenging diagnosis and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

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