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CIRCULATING LEVELS OF ALPHA‐FETOPROTEIN AND PREGNANCY SPECIFIC β 1 GLYCOPROTEIN IN PREGNANCIES WITHOUT AN EMBRYO
Author(s) -
Bennett M. J.,
Grudzinskas J. G.,
Gordon Y. B.,
Turnbull A. C.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1978.tb14892.x
Subject(s) - embryo , pregnancy , gestation , alpha fetoprotein , obstetrics , alpha (finance) , andrology , glycoprotein , medicine , gynecology , biology , biochemistry , genetics , surgery , construct validity , hepatocellular carcinoma , patient satisfaction
Summary Ten patients with depressed serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels at 14 to 15 weeks gestation were found to have no embryo on ultrasonography: two patients had hydatidiform moles and the remainder had anembryonic pregnancies (blighted ova). The pregnancy specific β 1 glycoprotein (SP 1 ) levels in serum were measured in all these ten patients. Seven of the eight patients with anembryonic pregnancies and one of the two patients with molar pregnancies had low serum SP 1 , levels. These observations suggest that the measurement of AFP and SP 1 may provide biochemical evidence of pregnancy without an embryo.