Second-trimester maternal serum immunoreactive inhibin as a marker for fetal Down's syndrome |
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| Authors: | J. M. M. Van Lith J. J. Pratt J. R. Beekhuis A. Mantingh |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Deparlmenr of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Groningen, Oostersingel 59, 9713 EZ Groningen. The Netherlands;2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Groningen. Oostersingel 59, 9713 EZ Groningen, The Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | We measured immunoreactive inhibin in the maternal serum of 80 pregnancies with a chromosomally normal fetus and ten Down's syndrome pregnancies in the second trimester. The inhibin level in all Down's syndrome pregnancies was above the normal median; the multiple of the normal median (MoM) was 1.9. We found a statistically significant difference between the levels of inhibin in unaffected and affected pregnancies (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test: p <0.002). Using an arbitrarily chosen cut-off of 2.4 MoM, 40 per cent of Down's syndrome and 5 per cent of the normal pregnancies were found. We conclude that immunoreactive inhibin may be useful as a marker for fetal Down's syndrome. |
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| Keywords: | Inhibin Down's syndrome Screening |
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