title: Amniotic fluid platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin as markers of structural abnormalities.
abstract: Platelet factor 4 (PF4) and beta-thromboglobulin (BTG) are unique markers of irreversible platelet activation. We measured PF4 and BTG in amniotic fluid from 102 genetic amniocenteses, in which 78 had normal amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels with normal pregnancies, and 24 had high amniotic fluid AFP levels with abnormal pregnancies. PF4 and BTG were significantly higher in the abnormal pregnancy/elevated amniotic fluid AFP group (p < 0.002 in each case) and correlated with AFP expressed as multiples of the median (p < 0.05 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Our results are compatible with passage of PF4 and BTG across fetal membranes and/or enhanced fetal platelet activation in fetuses with structural anomalies and elevated AFP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hutzel Hospital, Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Isada
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dombrowski
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Treadwell
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Mammen
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012044:Regression Analysis; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D010978:Platelet Factor 4