Maternal age-specific risks for trisomies at 9—14 weeks' gestation

This study provides data on the incidence of fetal trisomies 21, 18, and 13 at 9–14 weeks' gestation in women aged 35–45 years and estimates of maternal age-specific risks in women aged 20–45 years. Our data from 5814 singleton pregnancies undergoing first-trimester karyotyping for the sole indication of maternal age ⩾ 35 years were combined with those from two previous reports and the incidence of the trisomies was calculated from a total of 15 793 pregnancies. Comparison of incidences at 9–14 weeks' gestation with published data at 15–20 weeks' gestation and in livebirths demonstrated that at birth the maternal age-specific incidence of trisomy 21 is 33 per cent lower than at 15–20 weeks' gestation and 54 per cent lower than at 9–14 weeks' gestation. Furthermore, the relative frequency of trisomies 18 and 13 decreases from 30 per cent at 9–14 weeks to 22 per cent at 15–20 weeks and 14 per cent at birth.     

Rapid prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy from uncultured amniotic fluid cells using five-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization

In this paper we describe the use of five-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization for prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy using uncultured amniotic fluid cells. The analysis is based on ratio mixing of dual-labelled probes and digital imaging for the detection and visualization of five different probes specific for the five target chromosomes, 13, 18, 21, X, and Y. A retrospective blind analysis of 30 coded uncultured amniotic fluid samples correctly detected fetal sex and five trisomy 21 cases. Multicolour fluorescence in situ hybridization used in this way allows rapid and simultaneous detection of the most frequent aneuploidies.     

Achondrogenesis type 2 diagnosed by transvaginal ultrasound at 12 weeks' gestation

Ultrasound examination at 12 weeks' gestation revealed severe generalised subcutaneous oedema in a pregnancy at risk for achondrogenesis type II. Transvaginal scanning confirmed the oedema and suggested abnormal limb development. The prenatal diagnosis was confirmed by X-ray examination after transvaginal termination.     

Serum PAPP-A levels are depressed in women with fetal Down syndrome in early pregnancy

The value of maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein (PAPP)-A in screening for Down syndrome in early pregnancy was assessed using stored samples. Seventeen cases of Down syndrome and 66 unaffected control pregnancies were studied. The median PAPP-A level in the cases was 0.42 multiples of the expected value in controls (p <0.0001). Eleven cases (65 per cent) had levels less than half the expected value compared with only six controls (9 per cent). A commercial assay kit is now needed so that prospective screening with this marker can begin.     

Expanding multiple marker screening for Down's syndrome to include Edward'S syndrome

Information on maternal age and maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein, unconjugated oestriol (uE₃), and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) levels was used to investigate retrospectively the effect of estimating Edward's syndrome risk in women having multi-marker screening for Down's syndrome. The screened population comprised 15 pregnancies affected by Edward's syndrome, 15 with Down's syndrome and 5472 unaffected pregnancies. The use of all three markers to estimate Edward's syndrome risk would have led to the detection of 10–12 (67–80 per cent) cases with a false-positive rate of 0.3–0.6 per cent depending on the risk cut-off. A further case would have been detected as a result of screening for Down's syndrome alone. Similar results were obtained when the Edward's syndrome risk was based on uE₃ and hCG only. These data suggest that extending Down's syndrome screening to include Edward's syndrome risk will yield a high detection rate with only a small increase in the false-positive rate.     

Rare non-mosaic trisomies in chorionic villus tissue not confirmed at amniocentesis

This paper reports eight cases of non-mosaic, rare, and typically lethal trisomies diagnosed in chorionic villi and not confirmed by amniocentesis. Four cases were 47,XX, + 16; two cases were 47,XX, +2; one was 47,XX, + 12; and one was 47,XY, +7. There have been no known complications in any of these gestations. These eight cases were found in a series of approximately 12 000 samples processed in our laboratory (0.07 per cent). We conclude that (1) rare non-mosaic trisomy not reflecting the fetal condition is an occasional source of diagnostic ambiguity in chorionic villus sampling; and (2) when encountered, a follow-up amniocentesis should be recommended to the patient to confirm or rule out the abnormality. We propose the term ‘confined placental abnormality’ to describe non-mosaic trisomies and other related abnormalities found only in chorionic tissue.     

Prenatal diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency by rflp analysis of the 21-hydroxylase,complement C4, and HLA class II genes

In 19 pregnancies at risk for 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) in 18 families with at lea one affected child, prenatal diagnosis was performed by RFLP analysis using the enzymi Taq I and EcoRI and the DNA probes specific for the 21 OH genes, the closely linke complement C4 genes and the highly polymorphic HLA class II genes DRB, DQB, and DPI For fetal DNA analysis either chorionic villi or cultivated amniotic cells were used. In all 1 cases, a clear prenatal diagnosis was possible either with the 21OH probe alone or in mo cases, by combining the results of the different closely linked loci.     

Determinants of parental decisions to abort for chromosome abnormalities

Parental decisions concerning the continuation of pregnancy following prenatal detection of abnormal chromosomes were evaluated for 80 patients whose diagnosis and prenatal counselling were performed in our centre. Twenty-two anomalies were diagnosed by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and 58 by amniocentesis. The severity of the chromosome anomaly and associated ultrasound findings in the first vs. second trimester were correlated with patients' decisions. No difference was found in the likelihood of parental decisions to interrupt or continue a pregnancy between CVS and amniocentesis for either the‘severe’ or the‘questionable’ group of chromosome anomalies. Ninety-three per cent of patients with severe prognosis and 27 per cent with questionable prognosis opted for pregnancy termination (p <0·0001). The association of ultrasound anomalies and termination was highly significant (p< 0·001). The severity of the chromosome anomaly, and, to a lesser extent, the visualization of anomalies on ultrasound were the major determinants of parental decisions to terminate the pregnancy. The diagnosis of an anomaly in the first trimester was no more likely ito lead to a termination of pregnancy than in the second trimester.