title: Raised maternal plasma alpha-fetoprotein and pregnancy outcome.
abstract: With the aim of evaluating the clinical value of raised maternal plasma alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in women with singleton fetuses without structural abnormalities, the outcome of pregnancy was evaluated in a group of 20 women with these characteristics. Only 6 women (30%) delivered fetuses with appropriate birthweight at term; there were 6 pregnancy losses (30%), and the remaining pregnancies ended in pre-term delivery and/or birth of a small for gestational age fetus. Ultrasound examination supplied additional information in 3 cases only. Amniocentesis did not seem to affect pregnancy outcome in this group of high-risk pregnancies. Serial AFP testing was useless for monitoring these pregnancies. It is concluded that raised maternal plasma AFP must be regarded as a marker of poor pregnancy outcome even after exclusion of neural tube defects.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Strigini
authors: G B
authors: GB
authors: Melis
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Gasperini
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Fioretti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007745:Labor Onset / Q000097:blood*; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins