Open AccessAcetylcholinesterase Activity in Amniotic Fluid of Normal and Anencephalic Fetus in Diamniotic Twin Pregnancy
Author(s) -
Selbing Anders,
Larsson Lasse
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016348609158237
Subject(s) - amniotic fluid , medicine , acetylcholinesterase , fetus , neural tube , obstetrics , pregnancy , twin pregnancy , anencephaly , singleton , gestation , andrology , embryo , enzyme , biology , biochemistry , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology
Acetylcholinesterase test of amniotic fluid is commonly used as a diagnostic indicator of fetal neural tube defect in singleton pregnancies. Because of its large size it is unlikely that the acetylcholinesterase molecule diffuses across fetal membranes (1) and the test would hence also be useful in twin pregnancy if one of the fetuses were found to have a neural tube defect and the other had a normal sonographic appearance. Unfortunately this has proved to be incorrect.