Do racial differences exist in second-trimester maternal hCG levels? A study of 23,369 patients.
In Down syndrome screening by maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) determination at 15, 16, 17, and 18 weeks of gestation, we prospectively examined 23,369 sera from white (21,549), North African (970), black African (525), and Asian (325) patients. When expressed as multiples of the median (MOM), no difference was observed between white, North African, and black African patients. However, higher serum hCG concentrations were noted in Asians, for whom we therefore recommend correction of hCG values before calculation of the risk of Down syndrome.
Hôpital Ambroise Paré, Boulogne, France.
F
F
Muller
L
L
Bussières
M C
MC
Pèlissier
J F
JF
Oury
C
C
Boué
S
S
Uzan
A
A
Boué
D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D044469:Racial Groups; D012016:Reference Values; D044465:White People
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin