Second trimester amniotic fluid oestriol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, and human chorionic gonadotrophin levels in Down's syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the reason for low maternal serum unconjugated oestriol (uE3) and raised human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) levels in Down's syndrome pregnancies.


METHODS
Measurement of uE3, total oestriol (tE3), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), a precursor of oestriol, and hCG in 15-20 week amniotic fluid samples from pregnancies with and without Down's syndrome.


METHODS
The retrieval and use of stored amniotic fluid samples collected from women who had had an amniocentesis for antenatal diagnosis.


METHODS
45 women with a Down's syndrome pregnancy and 224 unaffected controls of the same gestational age.


RESULTS
The median level of amniotic fluid in affected pregnancies was low for uE3, tE3 and DHEAS but high for hCG: 0.50, 0.46, 0.35 and 1.58 multiples of the normal median, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the abnormal maternal serum levels of uE3 and hCG in affected pregnancies are due mainly to abnormal feto-placental synthesis, rather than feto-maternal transfer.
Cuckle
H S
HS
Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, St Bartholomew's Medical College, London.
Wald
N J
NJ
Densem
J W
JW
Canick
J
J
Abell
K B
KB
D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D004964:Estriol / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004964:Estriol