Comparing the levels of βHCG, progesterone and estradiol between ectopic pregnancy and normal intrauterine pregnancy

Background: The value of serial measurement of serum β subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (βHCG) and ultrasonography in the early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy has well established.
Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the diagnostic value of raising level of serum βHCG, single measurement of progesterone (P) and estradiol (E2) in early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.
Materials and Methods: Serum levels of βHCG and estradiol were measured by Radio Immuno Sorbent Assay (RIA) and progesterone level was measured by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) techniques in 43 symptomatic women with ectopic pregnancy and 42 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy in Alzahra Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. These values were compared by T-test. By determining cut-off levels of these parameters the efficiency and sensitivity of them in prediction of ectopic pregnancy was estimated.
Results: The mean serum levels of βHCG, estradiol and progesterone in patients with ectopic pregnancies (940 ± 552 mlu/ml, 593 ± 237 pg/ml, 5.83 ± 3.41 ng/ml, respectively) were significantly lower than these levels in normal intrauterine pregnancies (4620 ± 2030 mlu/ml, 1627 ± 435 pg/ml, 24.8 ± 6.08 ng/ml, respectively). The average rate of βHCG rising was 8.2% for 24 hours in patients with ectopic pregnancy (EP) and 32.8% in normal intrauterine pregnancies (NIUP).
Conclusions In this study single measurement of serum progesterone level has the greatest sensitivity (100%) and specificity (98%) in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.

Keywords
Beta subunit of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (bHCG), Estradiol, Progesterone, Ectopic pregnancy, Normal intrauterine pregnancy.