Abstract
We retrospectively compared the first trimester Down's syndrome serum screening markers free beta-hCG (fbetahCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) at 11-14 weeks of gestation in 4,088 women with naturally conceived pregnancies and in women pregnant after ICSI (n = 163), IVF (n = 59) and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (n = 31), and we searched for a potential relationship between infertility cause and marker levels. We found lower serum PAPP-A levels in pregnancies after IVF and ICSI compared with spontaneously conceived pregnancies and non-male factor infertility was associated with elevated serum fbetahCG levels at 11-14 weeks of gestation.
MeSH terms
-
Adult
-
Belgium / epidemiology
-
Biomarkers / blood
-
Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / blood*
-
Down Syndrome / blood
-
Down Syndrome / diagnosis*
-
Down Syndrome / embryology
-
Down Syndrome / epidemiology*
-
Female
-
Humans
-
Incidence
-
Infertility, Female / blood*
-
Infertility, Female / diagnosis
-
Infertility, Female / epidemiology*
-
Mass Screening / methods
-
Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data*
-
Pregnancy
-
Pregnancy Trimester, First / blood
-
Prenatal Diagnosis / methods
-
Prenatal Diagnosis / statistics & numerical data*
-
Retrospective Studies
-
Risk Assessment / methods
-
Risk Factors
Substances
-
Biomarkers
-
Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human