ISSN:
1471-0528
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Objective— To investigatc the rcason for low matcrnal scrum unconjugated oestriol (uE3) and raised human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) levels in Down's syndrome pregnancies.Design— Mcasurement of uE3, total oestriol (tE3), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), a precursor of oestriol, and hCG in 15–20 week amniotic fluid samples from pregnancies with and without Down's syndrome.Setting— The retrieval and use of stored amniotic fluid samples collected from women who had had an amniocentesis for antenatal diagnosis.Subjects— 45 women with a Down's syndrome pregnancy and 224 unaffected controls of the same gestational age.Results— The median level of amniotic fluid in affected pregnancies was low for uE3, tE3 and DHEAS but high for hCG: 0.50,0.46,0.35 and 1–58 multiples of the normal median, respectively.Conclusion— These results suggest that the abnormal maternal serum levels of uE3 and hCG in affected pregnancies are due mainly to abnormal feto-placental synthesis, rather than feto-maternal transfer.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1991.tb15370.x
