Dr Shehata is proud to announce his new referenced journal publications, please visit our Reseach section, or click here
There has been recently some media attention regarding a new discovery in the field of miscarriages. MIC-1 link with miscarriages and preterm labour has been known since the year 2000. Here is some information which you may find helpful.
Definition of MIC-1
MIC-1: Macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1. A divergent member
of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily. MIC-1 is produced in
the placenta. There are detectable levels of MIC-1 in the blood of the mother
during pregnancy. Low levels of MIC-1 in maternal serum are predictive for
an elevated risk of early pregnancy loss. Also known as placental bone morphogenetic
protein and placental BMP.
A recent study by an Austaralian group (Tong S, Marjono B, Brown DA, Mulvey S, Breit SN, Manuelpillai U, Wallace EM.) in the Lancet 2004 Jan 10;363(9403):129-30, title (Serum concentrations of macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 (MIC-1) as a predictor of miscarriage.) showed MIC 1 to have immunomodulatory actions favouring fetal viability. They measured serum concentrations of MIC-1 in asymptomatic women at 6-13 weeks' gestation who subsequently miscarried or who had already miscarried. MIC-1 concentrations in the miscarriage cohort (n=100), were a third of those who had ongoing pregnancies (n=197). Multiples of the median for miscarriage was 0.32 (95% CI 0.23-0.32) versus 1.00 (0.93-1.06) for ongoing pregnancies; p<0.0001. Concentrations were just as low 3 weeks before diagnosis as on the day of diagnosis. That MIC 1 serum concentrations seem to be low weeks before miscarriage suggests possible predictive and causative roles, as well as therapeutic potential.
Its our opinion that MIC-1 is a good predictive marker for miscarriage
but does not, at least at this stage, tell us much about how to prevent
or treat a miscarriage.
To view the interview with Dr Shehata please click one of the links below:
Dr Shehata is grateful for the Channel 4 and Cactus TV production of Richard and Judy show for allowing him to use the interview in his website
Tuesday 6th April 2004
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/story/10045
Thursday 1st April 2004
A new theory about the body's immune system could help prevent thousands of women losing babies, writes Margarette Driscoll from the Sunday Times (21st March 2004)
Full article click below.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1045261,00.html
