Kisspeptin as a predictor of miscarriage: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: A highly accurate serum marker for predicting viable pregnancy needs to be developed. Recent studies have demonstrated that kisspeptin is a potential biomarker for this purpose.

Methods: This systematic review evaluated the available data in the literature on the role of kisspeptin as a miscarriage biomarker. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases using the following keywords: (kisspeptin) AND (miscarriage OR pregnancy loss OR spontaneous abortion OR reproductive failure).

Results: Seven case-control studies were selected for the systematic review. The included papers described the potential role of kisspeptin as a putative biomarker of pregnancy loss. Furthermore, two studies reported that changes in kisspeptin levels may be associated with unexplained infertility and low rates of embryo implantation in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology.

Conclusion: Kisspeptin might be used as a potential biomarker of pregnancy viability in the near future. However, studies with better evidence are needed to establish the applicability of kisspeptin as a diagnostic and prognostic tool.

Keywords: Kisspeptin; intracytoplasmic sperm injection; in vitro fertilization; miscarriage; pregnancy loss.