Disease relevance of Pregnancy Tests

• A 31-year-old woman with a positive pregnancy test and a transvaginal ultrasound scan result that was suggestive of a right tubal ectopic pregnancy underwent a laparoscopy, which showed bilateral hematosalpinx [1].
• Two pregnancy tests, ModEL serum hCG Assay and ModEL Urine hCG Assay, were evaluated using sera and urine from 46 patients suspected of pathologic early pregnancy, of whom 22 patients had spontaneous abortion and 9 an ectopic pregnancy [2].
• In the 1970s the use of high dose Estrogen/Progestin combination drugs as a hormonal pregnancy test was assumed to cause birth defects [3].

High impact information on Pregnancy Tests

• Standardisation of human chorionic gonadotropin, HCG subunits, and pregnancy tests [4].
• We evaluated the performance of four visually read pregnancy tests (TestPack Plus hCG Combo, ICON II hCG, SureCell hCG-Serum/Urine and PregnaGen 1-Step) designed to detect increased concentrations of choriogonadotropin (hCG) in either serum or urine samples [5].
• We used Tandem Icon II (Hybritech) pregnancy test reagents and evaluated the reagents for possible "false-positive" findings at the 25 int. units/L limit of hCG detectability by analyzing 100 post-menopausal and more than 4000 premenopausal serum specimens [6].
• Health care providers should be aware of the occurrence of false-positive pregnancy tests in females of childbearing potential receiving thalidomide [7].
• Total activin A was detectable 14 days after ET (positive pregnancy test), and higher levels were associated with multiple gestations while rapidly falling levels heralded embryonic demise [8].

Biological context of Pregnancy Tests

• Investigations revealed FSH 2.7 IU/l, LH > 50 IU/l and oestradiol > 1320 pmol/l. A pregnancy test was positive and subsequent ultrasound scanning confirmed the presence of a foetus of 18 weeks gestation [9].
• CONCLUSION(S): Progesterone support of the luteal phase in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles is indicated, though support beyond the serum pregnancy test may not be needed [10].

Anatomical context of Pregnancy Tests

• Aspirin (75 mg daily) was commenced at the time of a positive pregnancy test and heparin (5000 units subcutaneously 12 hourly, or enoxaparin 20 mg daily) was started when fetal heart activity was demonstrated on ultrasound [11].
• These tests include complete blood cell count, pregnancy test, hormone levels (estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), thyroid function tests, liver function tests, and coagulation profile [12].

Associations of Pregnancy Tests with chemical compounds

• STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: A retrospective review of patients receiving thalidomide within the S.T.E.P.S. programme from September 1998 to 31 December 2004 to determine the occurrence of positive pregnancy tests whilst on treatment [7].
• Calving data were obtained from a further 110 cows for which the milk progesterone EIA had provided a pregnancy test 24 days after AI; 46 cows were correctly identified as non-pregnant and 58 as pregnant and there were 4 false positive and 2 inconclusive results [13].
• Latex reagents for HCG obtained from commercially available pregnancy test kits were adapted for use on Instrumentation Laboratory's Multistat III Plus centrifugal analyzer [14].
• Daily infusion of serum albumin and low dose dopamine failed to increase her urine output and her abdominal symptoms became increasingly deteriorated after her urine pregnancy test turned out to be positive [15].
• Four of the 14 women did not have pregnancy tests before starting Accutane [16].

Gene context of Pregnancy Tests

• Fifty-seven women who were interviewed during a clinic visit for a pregnancy test (Time 1 [T1]) subsequently received positive test results and were then interviewed 2 days later (Time 2 [T2]) and a month later (Time 3 [T3]) [17].
• Three days after the pregnancy test women completed a questionnaire that asked them to recall the stress of IVF [18].
• Tubal pregnancy with normal hysterosalpingogram and negative serum pregnancy test [19].
• False positive pregnancy tests in systemic lupus erythematosus [20].
• Thirty percent of 54 IgA deficient patient sera yielded positive pregnancy tests by one or more of the three betahCG assays, however, none of the patients were pregnant [21].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Pregnancy Tests

• INTERVENTION(S): Women undergoing IVF were randomly assigned to treatment with aspirin 75 mg daily from the day of embryo transfer (ET) until pregnancy test or no treatment in an open study [22].
• Our ability to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy at an earlier gestation (prior to rupture) through the use of highly sensitive pregnancy tests (Beta-HCG), ultrasonography, and diagnostic laparoscopy, has significantly altered our approach in treatment [23].
• Organon in Holland with the pregnancy test kit, and Pharmacia in Sweden with test kits for radioimmunoassay, became pioneers among the diagnostic test kit industries [24].
• Urine specimens were subjected to a traditional high-threshold pregnancy test (sensitivity limit = 2000 U/L) and to a low-threshold pregnancy test (sensitivity limit = 50 U/L); HCG in plasma and urine was determined by ELISA assay [25].

References