Correlation between Maternal Serum Level of Beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin during 16-20 Weeks of Pregnancy and Incidence of Preeclampsia

Most current hypotheses regarding the pathophysiologic mechanisms of preeclampsia point to early placental abnormalities. Therefore, we attempted to determine whether maternal human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in second trimester can predict preeclampsia. in this prospective study, 508 pregnant women who referred to Shahid Akbar Abadi prenatal clinic for prenatal care during 2007-2009 were enrolled. Maternal serum hCG was measured in all these women during 16-20 weeks of gestational age. All these women were followed and evaluated for preeclampsia. preeclampsia was detected in 47 women (9.3%). The mean log of serum hCG levels during second trimester of pregnancy were found to be significantly higher in severe preeclampsia, compared with controls (p<0.05). Furthermore, increase of maternal age enhances the risk of preeclampsia. our findings indicate that serum levels of maternal hCG during weeks 16-20 pregnancy, can be valuable for predicting preeclampsia.