Changes in inhibins and activin secretion in healthy and pathological pregnancies

Inhibin-related proteins are involved in the control of the feto-maternal communication required to maintain pregnancy. Human placenta, decidua, and fetal membranes are the major sites of production and secretion of activin A. inhibin A and inhibin B in maternal serum, amniotic fluid. and cord blood. The availability of suitable assays developed in the last years has enabled the measurement of inhibins and activin A in their dimeric forms, in order to investigate their role in physiological conditions of pregnancy. The studies conducted on inhibin-related proteins and human pregnancy suggested the possibility of an involvement of inhibin A and activin A in the pathogenesis of gestational diseases. In fact, several lines of evidence underline the potential role and the clinical usefulness of inhibin-related proteins measurement in the diagnosis, prevention, prognosis and follow-up of different gestational pathologies such as early pregnancy viability, Down's syndrome, fetal demise, pre-eclampsia. pregnancy-induced hypertension, preterm delivery and intrauterine growth restriction. The measurement of inhibin A and activin A into the biological fluids of pregnancy will offer in the future, further possibilities in the early diagnosis, prediction. and monitoring diseases of pregnancy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.