Placenta Protein Tied To Miscarriage

I found this interesting article about how low levels of a protein found through a diagnostic test may be predictive of miscarriage. Read more:

www.theage.com.au

From the article:

Researchers at Monash University looked at blood samples from 300 women in early pregnancy - 100 of whom went on to miscarry.

The researchers found that blood levels of a protein called macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC 1) were much lower in the women who miscarried.

If the findings are confirmed, they may lead to a diagnostic blood test that could predict miscarriage, or even a treatment to prevent it. The researchers say about 10 to 15 per cent of pregnancies miscarry, with no treatment available and no way of identifying women at risk.

The study's findings, a collaboration between the Monash team and researchers from St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, are published in the latest edition of The Lancet.

Stephen Tong of Monash Medical Centre's obstetrics and gynaecology department said analysis of blood samples taken each week during the women's first trimester (six to 13 weeks) showed that the levels of MIC 1 in women who went on to miscarry were 70 per cent lower.

Researchers then looked at a group of women whose blood was taken one week before miscarriage was diagnosed, and found the same low level of MIC 1.

"But even more surprisingly, we were able to identify a group who had blood taken a full three weeks before they had their diagnosis that they had a miscarriage, and we were surprised to find that levels were just about, again, 70 per cent depressed compared to normal level," Dr Tong said.