title: Isolated low second-trimester maternal serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin is not associated with adverse pregnancy outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether low human chorionic gonadotropin from maternal serum screening is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women between 15 and 20 completed weeks of gestation who had a maternal serum screen performed from June 1999 to November 2001 were studied. Cases included women with human chorionic gonadotropin values of <or=0.5 multiples of the median, alpha-fetoprotein values of >0.5 and <2.0 multiples of the median, and estriol values of >0.6 and <2.0 multiples of the median. Control subjects were selected randomly from the population of women with normal values for all three analytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 146 case subjects and 292 control subjects. There was no increased risk in the study group compared with the control subjects for preterm delivery, intrauterine fetal death, low birth weight, abruptio placentae, preeclampsia, or preterm premature rupture of membranes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An isolated low human chorionic gonadotropin level from second-trimester maternal serum screening is not associated with adverse pregnancy outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill., USA.
authors.forename: Loraine K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Endres
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krotz
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Grobman
mesh_terms: D000037:Abruptio Placentae / Q000453:epidemiology; D001724:Birth Weight; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D004964:Estriol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004964:Estriol