title: Clinical interpretation of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein concentrations.
abstract: Concentrations of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein provide the basis for decisions to proceed to ultrasonography and amniocentesis in the multistaged screening/diagnostic process used for the prenatal detection of open neural tube defects, abdominal wall defects, and twins. The concentration of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein at or above which women should be advised that amniocentesis is available (cutoff levels for amniocentesis) varies, depending upon a number of factors, such as maternal weight, race, residence, and gestational age. We briefly describe a methodology for computing the predicted risks of fetal conditions associated with a given concentration of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein adjusted for important variables. This adjustment methodology provides a straightforward means for clinical laboratories to report results of assays of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein in terms of predicted risks, to facilitate understanding by the physician and patient of the clinical meaning of the results of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein testing.
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D000757:Anencephaly / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D044469:Racial Groups; D012306:Risk; D014427:Twins; D014463:Ultrasonography; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins