Early Prediction of Macrosomia Based On an Analysis of Second Trimester Amniotic Fluid by Capillary Electrophoresis

Abstract

To identify, using capillary electrophoresis and chemometrics, early biomarkers in human amniotic fluid of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants. Second trimester amniotic fluid samples, obtained from mothers undergoing age-related amniocentesis, were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. Electropherogram data were aligned using correlation-optimized warping. A genetic algorithm using a Bayesian evaluation function and a leave-one-out cross-validation strategy for two birth outcomes: appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) versus LGA infants. LGA (n = 23) was differentiated from AGA (n = 86) with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 98% using only two wavelets. The first wavelet is associated with albumin and the second wavelet with an unknown small molecule. The approach developed herein allows LGA fetuses to be metabolically distinguished from AGA fetuses early in pregnancy and indicates that the birth of a LGA infant is already associated with an altered biochemical profile by the second trimester.