Maternal serum free‐β‐chorionic gonadotrophin, pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A and fetal nuchal translucency thickness at 10–13⁺⁶ weeks in relation to co‐variables in pregnant Saudi women

Abstract

The normative values and distribution parameters for fetal NT, maternal serum free beta-hCG and PAPP-A were established in Saudi singleton pregnancies, the maternal body weight together with smoking, twin pregnancy and ethnicity being important first-trimester screening co-variables. Gravidity, parity and fetal gender are also considered to influence one or more of the first-trimester markers examined.

Median levels of serum biomarkers of fetal Down syndrome detected during the first trimester among pregnant Thai women

“…In the present Thai-based study, the median serum levels of PAPP-A and free β-hCG seemed to be somewhat higher when compared with the levels of these markers in other countries, even after correction with gestational age and maternal weight. This observation remained consistent when the present results were compared with those from other Asian populations, such as Hong Kong Chinese or Saudi [4,5], suggesting that specific Asian subgroups-for example, South, Oriental, or Southeast Asian-should each have their own reference ranges for these biomarkers. Although several investigators have observed that the median values of PAPP-A and β-hCG are higher among Asian populations relative to other ethnicities, these predominantly Western studies included only a small sample of Asian and mixed Asian subgroups [13].…”

Maternal Smoking, Obesity and Male Fetal Sex Predispose to a Large Nuchal Translucency Thickness in Healthy Fetuses

“…Leipold et al [12] did not find any significant association between NT and BMI, when examining the hypothesis that women who later develop GDM have a thicker NT compared to women with normal glucose tolerance. An association between increasing maternal weight and increasing NT has previously been reported by other authors [4,5,13] . Krantz et al [4] and Sahota et al [5] found that NT increased with increasing maternal weight, but both concluded that the trend was slight and probably clinically negligible, although it was statistically significant.…”

Influence of gravidity and foetal gender on the value of screening variables in the first trimester of pregnancy

“…Hence, there was a statistically significant decrease of 1-2% in the detection rate (DR) in pregnancies with female foetuses. Neither De Graaf et al [8] or Ardawi et al [9] found any differences in PAPP-A levels in relation to foetal gender.…”

“…Ardawi et al [9] and Spencer et al [13] found, in euploid pregnancies without complications, lower values of NT, higher PAPP-A and higher free b-hCG with increasing gravidity and parity.…”