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Serum PAPP‐A levels are depressed in women with fetal Down syndrome in early pregnancy
Author(s) -
Muller F.,
Cuckle H.,
Teisner B.,
Grudzinskas J. G.
Publication year - 1993
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.1970130714
Subject(s) - down syndrome , medicine , obstetrics , pregnancy , fetus , biology , psychiatry , genetics
The value of maternal serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein (PAPP)‐A in screening for Down syndrome in early pregnancy was assessed using stored samples. Seventeen cases of Down syndrome and 66 unaffected control pregnancies were studied. The median PAPP‐A level in the cases was 0.42 multiples of the expected value in controls ( p <0.0001). Eleven cases (65 per cent) had levels less than half the expected value compared with only six controls (9 per cent). A commercial assay kit is now needed so that prospective screening with this marker can begin.