Maternal midtrimester free beta-HCG and AFP serum levels in spontaneous singleton pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy-induced hypertension or obstetric cholestasis.
OBJECTIVE
The present study aims at finding out whether a connection exists between altered serum free beta-hCG and/or alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and the manifestation of specific pregnancy complications [i.e. gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) or intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP)].


METHODS
We compared free beta-hCG and AFP multiples of median (MoM) values in singleton pregnancies. The study population consisted of 117 pregnancies with GDM, 107 with PIH and 24 with ICP. The control group consisted of 1148 singleton pregnancies without any pregnancy complications. All were spontaneously conceived.


RESULTS
In the group with GDM, both the free beta-hCG (0.72 MoM) and AFP MoM values (0.93) were significantly lower than in controls (beta-hCG 0.97 MoM, p = 0.0063 and AFP 1.01 MoM, p = 0.01). No statistically significant differences in the marker levels were observed between the ICP pregnancies and the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
GDM has an impact on maternal midtrimester free beta-hCG and AFP levels and may change the DS screening result.
Räty
R
R
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. raija.raty@tyks.fi
Anttila
L
L
Virtanen
A
A
Koskinen
P
P
Laitinen
P
P
Mörsky
P
P
Tiitinen
A
A
Martikainen
H
H
Ekblad
U
U
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins