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Abnormal maternal serum chorionic gonadotropin levels in pregnancies with fetal chromosome abnormalities
Author(s) -
Bogart Mark H.,
Pandian M. R.,
Jones O. W.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
prenatal diagnosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.956
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1097-0223
pISSN - 0197-3851
DOI - 10.1002/pd.1970070904
Subject(s) - human chorionic gonadotropin , gonadotropin , fetus , medicine , gestation , pregnancy , endocrinology , obstetrics , andrology , biology , hormone , genetics
The alpha subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (alpha‐hCG), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were measured in the serum of 25 women with chromosomally abnormal fetuses between 18 and 25 weeks of gestation and in 74 normal pregnancies. AFP levels less than 0.5 multiples of the median (MoM) or greater than 2.5 MoM were observed in 24 per cent of the abnormal pregnancies and in 6.76 per cent of the normal pregnancies. A low concentration of hCG (< 0.25 MoM) was observed in 8 per cent of abnormals and in 2.7 per cent of normals while an elevated concentration of hCG (>2.5 MoM) was observed in 56 per cent of abnormals and in 1.35 per cent of normals. Elevated hCG‐alpha (>2.5 MoM) was observed in 28 per cent of abnormals and in none of the normals. Determination of elevated levels of hCG‐alpha or hCG resulted in detection of 68 per cent of pregnancies with chromosomally abnormal fetuses with a false positive rate of 1.35 per cent. Determination of both elevated and depressed gonadotropin levels resulted in detection of 76 per cent of abnormal pregnancies with a false positive rate of 4.05 per cent. Measurement of hCG and hCG‐alpha in maternal serum samples can be used as a screening procedure for detecting pregnancies at risk for fetal chromosome abnormalities.