Gestational hormone and protein measurements in women with an unexplained maternal serum a-fetoprotein elevation

Abstract

SummaryGestational hormone and protein measurements, including Schwangerschaftsprotein (SP1), human placental lactogen (hPL), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), placental protein 12 (PP-12) and a repeat maternal serum α-fetoprotein (MSAFP) were obtained at 18–22 weeks of pregnancy from 98 women with an unexplained elevation in their initial 16 week MSAFP. These assays were compared to those of 89 control patients all of whom had a normal 16 week MSAFP and a normal obstetric outcome. Among the 87 pregnancies with an unexplained elevation of MSAFP, nine resulted in perinatal death, while of the remaining 78 livebirths, six were delivered at ⩽ 32 weeks gestational age and nine had birth weights ⩽ 5th centile. There was no association between these outcome variables and the level of SP-1, PAPP-A, PP-12, hPL and AFP.