Premium
HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPHIN AND ALPHA‐FETOPROTEIN LEVELS IN MATCHED SAMPLES OF AMNIOTIC FLUID, EXTRAEMBRYONIC COELOMIC FLUID, AND MATERNAL SERUM IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY
Author(s) -
Wathen N. C.,
Cass P. L.,
Kitau M. J.,
Chard T.
Publication year - 1991
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.1970110303
Subject(s) - amniotic fluid , amniocentesis , medicine , alpha fetoprotein , obstetrics , human chorionic gonadotropin , gestation , andrology , pregnancy , gynecology , fetus , endocrinology , biology , prenatal diagnosis , hormone , genetics , hepatocellular carcinoma
Separately identified samples of amniotic fluid and extraembryonic coelomic fluid obtained by high resolution transvaginal ultrasound‐guided amniocentesis from 32 women between 7 and 12 weeks of pregnancy were analysed for human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP). There was a highly significant difference between the hCG levels in amniotic fluid (median level 6.3 U/ml; range 1.6–310.0 U/ml) and those in extraembryonic coelomic fluid (median level 400.0U/ml; range 135.0–2250.0U/ml) ( p <0.001; Mann‐Whitney U/–test). The levels of AFP were very similar in amniotic fluid (median 26.0 kU/ml; range 10.0–116.5 kU/ml) and extraembryonic coelomic fluid (median level 24.1 kU/ml; range 12.4–94.4 kU/ml).