Protein could predict women who will miscarry

A protein found in the placenta of pregnant women could be used to predict whether they will miscarry their babies, Monash University/Monash Medical Centre researchers working with scientists at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, have found.

The research could lead to therapies for preventing miscarriage, said Associate Professor Euan Wallace from Monash's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash Medical Centre. Ten to 15 per cent of pregnancies end in miscarriage. There is no preventative treatment and no biological method of identifying women who are at high risk of foetal loss.

But Dr Wallace and colleagues have found that, in women who miscarry, blood concentrations of a protein called macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC-1) are a third of that in women who have ongoing pregnancies.

"If further studies confirm a link between low levels of MIC 1 and miscarriage, then this protein, or synthetic copies of the protein, might be useful in preventing miscarriage," Dr Wallace said.

Dr Wallace and Dr Stephen Tong from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash Medical Centre, in collaboration with Professor Breit, measured MIC 1 concentrations in the blood of 300 women in their first trimester of pregnancy (six to 13 weeks).

They found that the MIC 1 concentrations were significantly lower in the 100 women who miscarried compared to the 200 women whose pregnancies were successful. The low levels of MIC1 also preceded the miscarriage by several weeks, potentially providing an early warning system for miscarriage.

"MIC 1 is found at high concentrations at the interface between mother and foetus, particularly during very early pregnancy," Dr Wallace said. "This research suggests that MIC 1 has a role in maintaining the viability of pregnancies and that changes in the production of this protein in the placenta may underlie miscarriage."

Item provided courtesy of Monash University