title: Amniotic fluid acetylcholinesterase isoenzyme patterns in the diagnosis of neural tube defects.
abstract: Acetylcholinesterase isoenzyme patterns were determined in amniotic fluid from 140 normal pregnancies and from 68 pregnancies with various fetal abnormalities. A fast acetylcholinesterase isoenzyme was detected in all cases of neural tube defect, exomphalos and intrauterine death. The fast isoenzyme was not seen in any of the normal pregnancies. Blood-contaminated amniotic fluids with false positive elevation of alphafetoprotein gave a single isoenzyme band. The qualitative demonstration of a fast acetylcholinesterase isoenzyme in amniotic fluid provides a useful adjunct to the alphafetoprotein assay in the prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects.
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000032:analysis*; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000201:enzymology*; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000175:diagnosis; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis*; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase