Human Placental Lactogen (Hpl) in Serum in Complicated Early Pregnancy

Summary The clinical value of maternal serum HPL concentrations determined by radio‐immunoassay in complicated early pregnancy was studied between the 6th and 20th weeks of pregnancy. The subjects were 203 normally pregnant women and 188 whose pregnancy was complicated by uterine bleeding. In threatened abortion where the pregnancy continued successfully (102 patients) the HPL level was generally similar to that in normal pregnancy and showed a pattern of increase in serial determinations. In complicated pregnancies with an unsuccessful outcome (blighted ovum 19, incomplete abortion 42, and missed abortion 25) HPL values were low and decreased in serial samples. A single HPL determination seemed to be a sufficiently reliable index of viable pregnancy from the 14th week onwards, but before that serial HPL samples would seem to be needed.