Ziaei S, Bahadori A, Faghihzadeh S
Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modarres University, PO Box 14115-111, Tehran, Iran.
Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2005 Aug;90(2):99-102. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2005.03.029.
To determine whether levels of human beta-chorionic gonadotropin hormone (beta-hCG) in cervicovaginal secretions can predict the labor process.
A total of 150 women admitted in active labor to the urgent delivery unit of a university hospital were enrolled in a prospective study. The beta-hCG level of each woman's cervicovaginal secretions was measured by radioimmunoassay on admission; then, beta-hCG levels were compared between 2 groups of 35 women, one in whom labor progressed normally and another in whom augmentation of labor with oxytocin was required.
There were significant differences in beta-hCG levels of cervicovaginal secretions between the spontaneous delivery group and the augmentation of labor group (130.72+/-64.51 mU/mL vs. 93.9+/-65.29 mU/mL) (P<0.05). A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value was 82 mU/mL, with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 60%.
beta-chorionic gonadotropin hormone levels were significantly higher in the cervicovaginal secretions of women whose labor was progressing normally than in those who required augmentation of labor.
