THE DETECTION OF NON-IMMUNE HYDROPS THROUGH SECOND-TRIMESTER MATERNAL SERUM SCREENING

• Published in: Prenatal diagnosis Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 431 - 435
• Main Authors: SALLER Jr, DEVEREUX N., CANICK, JACOB A., OYER, CALVIN E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.05.1996; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; AFP; alpha-Fetoproteins - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Chorionic Gonadotropin - blood; Down Syndrome - etiology; Estriol - blood; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; hCG; Humans; Hydrops Fetalis - diagnosis; Hydrops Fetalis - etiology; Management. Prenatal diagnosis; maternal serum screening; Medical sciences; non-immune hydrops; Polyhydramnios - diagnosis; Polyhydramnios - etiology; Pregnancy - blood; Pregnancy - physiology; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Prenatal Diagnosis - methods; Radioimmunoassay; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Pregnancy; Hydramnion; Prenatal; Biochemical analysis; Pregnancy disorders; Biological marker; Serum; Diagnosis; α-Fetoprotein; HCG; Immunity
• ISSN: 0197-3851; 1097-0223
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0223(199605)16:5<431::AID-PD877>3.0.CO;2-V

The objective was to investigate whether non‐immune hydrops in euploid pregnancies is associated with alterations in the second‐trimester levels of maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated oestriol (uE3), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Ten singleton cases of fetal non‐immune hydrops were identified. The aetiology and timing of onset of the earliest signs of non‐immune hydrops, including polyhydramnios, in relation to maternal serum screening for Down syndrome were assessed. There was no clear relationship between the aetiology of non‐immune hydrops and the analyte levels, as aetiologies varied widely. AFP levels were elevated overall (median=1·78 MOM) and uE3 levels were unremarkable (median=0·82 MOM). hCG levels were elevated (median=3·53 MOM) when non‐immune hydrops was present at the time of screening, but were unremarkable (median=0·82 MOM) when the non‐immune hydrops presented later. It is concluded that second‐trimester non‐immune hydrops is associated with elevated hCG levels.