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Midtrimester Amniotic Fluid Tumor Necrosis Factor‐Alpha Does Not Predict Small‐for‐Gestational‐Age Infants
Author(s) -
SPONG CATHERINE Y.,
SHERER DAVID M.,
GHIDINI ALESSANDRO,
PEZZULLO JOHN C.,
SALAFIA CAROLYN M.,
EGLINTON GARY S.,
SPONG CATHERINE Y.,
SHERER DAVID M.,
GHIDINI ALESSANDRO,
PEZZULLO JOHN C.,
EGLINTON GARY S.,
SALAFIA CAROLYN M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1997.tb00221.x
Subject(s) - medicine , amniotic fluid , gestational age , obstetrics , exact test , gestation , small for gestational age , confounding , pregnancy , gastroenterology , fetus , biology , genetics
PROBLEM: To evaluate the independent ability of midtrimester amniotic fluid tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) in the prediction of small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) infants. METHOD OF STUDY: In this case‐control study, patients delivering a SGA infant were matched with controls based on GA at delivery, maternal age, race, and parity. Patients with immune disease, chronic hypertension, diabetes, asthma, congenital hearts disease, multiple gestation, and fetal anomalies were excluded. Amniotic fluid samples were immunoassayed for TNF‐α. Potential confounding variables evaluated were maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein level, smoking history, pregnancy induced hypertension, and neonatal gender. Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact test and ANOVA after log transformation with P < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Eighteen patients delivered SGA neonates and were matched with 41 controls. No significant differences were identified in the confounding variables between patients with SGA neonates and controls. Amniotic fluid TNF‐α levels were not significantly different between patients subsequently delivering SGA neonates and controls [median 7.63 (range 0.25‐16.1) pg/mL versus 9.39 (0.25–66.9) pg/mL, P = 0.8]. CONCLUSIONS: Midtrimester amniotic fluid TNF‐α levels are not predictive of SGA neonates when compared with controls matched for gestational age at delivery.