title: Amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein testing in native Japanese women.
abstract: Owing to differences in maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotrophin and oestriol levels between native Japanese and Caucasian women screened in this laboratory, a study was conducted to measure amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AFAFP) levels in native Japanese pregnancies. When the native Japanese AFAFP levels were compared with a United States (non-Black) population, the Japanese medians did not decrease as rapidly over the 14 to 22 weeks of gestation period investigated. At 14 weeks, the difference was negligible, graduating to a difference of 20 per cent by 22 weeks' gestation. Native Japanese pregnancy AFAFP levels should be interpreted based upon population data from that group alone. From these findings, prenatal screening laboratories should be encouraged to collect preliminary data for comparison before screening is initiated for a defined ethnic group.
authors.affiliation: The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawa
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoshi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimomura
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Myrick
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Dowman
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Grier
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis / Q000592:standards*; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012016:Reference Values; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins