Brizot ML, Kuhn P, Bersinger NA, Snijders RJ, Nicolaides KH. First trimester maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein in fetal trisomies.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY 1995;
102:31-4. [PMID:
7530490 DOI:
10.1111/j.1471-0528.1995.tb09022.x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the potential value of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration in the detection of fetal trisomy at 10 to 13 weeks gestation and to examine the possible association between maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and fetal nuchal translucency thickness.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.
SETTING
Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital Medical School, London.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration was measured at 10 to 13 weeks gestation in samples from 57 pregnancies with fetal trisomies (trisomy 21 (n = 35), trisomy 18 (n = 16), and trisomy 13 (n = 6)) in 228 matched controls in whom the fetal nuchal translucency was < 3 mm and in 114 chromosomally normal fetuses with translucency > or = 3 mm.
RESULTS
In the control group maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein increased significantly with fetal crown-rump length (r = 0.451). In this group, the median maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein was not significantly different from that in the groups with trisomy 21 (median = 0.84 MoM), trisomy 18 (median = 0.86 MoM), or trisomy 13 (median = 0.94 MoM), respectively. Neither in the control group nor in the group with trisomic fetuses was maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein significantly associated with fetal nuchal translucency thickness (r = 0.01 and r = 0.03).
CONCLUSION
Measurement of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration in the first trimester of pregnancy is not likely to be useful in the prediction of fetal trisomies.
Collapse