title: The influence of ethnic origin on first trimester biochemical markers of chromosomal abnormalities.
abstract: In a first trimester study of 5422 Caucasian women, 752 Afro-Caribbean women and 170 Asian women we have shown that the median maternal serum marker MoMs for free beta-hCG and PAPP-A were 19% and 48% higher in Afro-Caribbean women and 19% higher and 35% higher in Asian women, compared to Caucasian women. Correcting for maternal weight made very little difference to the effect in Afro-Caribbeans (21% and 57% higher after weight correction) but reduced the effect in Asians (4% and 17% higher after weight correction ). It is estimated that correcting for maternal weight and ethnicity overall would increase the detection rate by a modest 1.4%. However, the effect on an individual's risk could result in as much as a two-fold increase in the patient specific risk for trisomy 21. The impact of ethnic origin seems to be greater than that observed with second trimester biochemical markers and larger studies are required in order to develop robust algorithms for correcting for ethnic origin in the first trimester.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Unit, Clinical Biochemistry Department, Harold Wood Hospital, Gubbins Lane, Romford, Essex RM3 0BE, UK. Kevin_Spencer@Compuserve.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D044383:Black People; D001835:Body Weight; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000208:ethnology; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000032:analysis; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D044469:Racial Groups; D006113:United Kingdom; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A