Effect of Maternal Hepatitis B Carrier Status on First-Trimester Markers of Down Syndrome

Abstract

Up to 10% of women of reproductive age in our country are carriers of hepatitis B virus. This study examined whether maternal hepatitis B carrier status has any effect on markers used in first-trimester screening for Down syndrome. Records for 2 major Taiwanese hospitals were retrospectively examined to identify women with singleton pregnancies resulting in normal live births from June 2002 through 2008. Maternal hepatitis B data were used to define 3 groups: seronegative women, inactive carrier women, and active carrier women. Women with active or inactive carrier status were significantly older than seronegative women. The results of the study show that maternal hepatitis B carrier status does not influence first-trimester levels of maternal serum free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (free beta-hCG) multiples of the median (MoM), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) MoM, and median fetal nuchal translucency and screening false-positive rate; therefore, correction in the risk calculation algorithm for maternal hepatitis B carrier status is not necessary.

Association of maternal hepatitis B virus infection with adverse pregnancy outcomes and prenatal screening result of second-trimester: a retrospective cohort study

“…However, the sensitivity and specificity of MSM depended on target protein, sampling environment and local cut off value, as well as the association between maternal HBV infection and the screening result is rare report. In Po-Jen Cheng et al research, they suggested that the maternal HBV infection is not associated with the screening result of MSM after investigated 8,193 eligible pregnancies 39 . In their study, the target protein of marking fetal DS is pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), not protein AFP.…”

Prognostic Value of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Measured in the First-Trimester on the Severity of Preeclampsia

“…In this prospective nested case-controlled study, the population was drawn from participants of the Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) First Trimester Obstetrical Complications Assessment Study (FOCAS) cohort. 11 , 12 The recruitment of the FOCAS cohort was initiated in 2005 when the first trimester combined screening program for fetal Down syndrome was first provided to women who received prenatal care at CGMH. Pregnant women who presented to the Fetal Medical Center at CGMH for first trimester combined screening were invited to participate if their pregnancies were 11 to 13 weeks’ gestation, based on self-reports from the participants.…”

First-Trimester Combined Screening Is Effective for the Detection of Unbalanced Chromosomal Translocations at 11 to 12 Weeks of Gestation

“…Free b-hCG and PAPP-A levels in maternal serum were analyzed using a Kryptor immunoanalyzer (Brahms AG, Berlin, Germany). 5,6 The serum levels of these factors were entered into the first-trimester combined screening program database as multiples of the median (MoMs) of the underlying reference values for pregnant women of the same gestational age. Down syndrome risk was calculated using the algorithm provided by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, with correction for maternal smoking status and the weight.…”

“…With a fixed false-positive rate of 5%, the first trimester combined screening method detects 90% of pregnancies with fetal chromosomal aneuploidy including trisomy at chromosomes 21, 13, and 18. [4][5][6] On the other hand, current standard clinical guidelines recommend that pregnant couples in which 1 partner carries a chromosomal translocation to have prenatal genetic testing using amniocentesis or chorionic villous sampling (CVS). 3 Although it has been reported that measurement of fetal nuchal translucency can be used to detect unbalanced chromosomal translocations, 7 however, whether unbalanced chromosomal translocations can be specifically identified with the first trimester combined screening is not clear.…”