Medically assisted reproduction and second-trimester maternal serum marker screening for Down syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) on total hCG, free ss-hCG, AFP and unconjugated estriol (uE3) used as markers for second-trimester Down syndrome maternal serum screening.


METHODS
Second-trimester maternal sera from 1515 singleton pregnancies (970 by IVF, 545 by ICSI) were compared with control sera (21 014 cases). Free ss-hCG, total hCG, AFP and uE3 were compared between the control group and the medically assisted reproduction groups. The percentages of at-risk patients (>/=1/250) were also compared.


RESULTS
No differences in values of the maternal serum markers were observed between the medically assisted and control groups. When maternal age was taken into account, the screen-positive rate for Down syndrome screening did not differ between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients undergoing assisted reproduction techniques can be counseled for maternal serum Down syndrome screening with the same efficacy as patients with naturally conceived pregnancies.
Muller
Françoise
F
Biochimie Hormonale, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France. francoise.muller@rdp.ap-hop-paris.fr
Dreux
Sophie
S
Lemeur
Alain
A
Sault
Corinne
C
Desgrès
Jean
J
Bernard
Marguerite-Anne
MA
Giorgetti
Claude
C
Lemay
Catherine
C
Mirallié
Sophie
S
Beauchet
Alain
A
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood; D003376:Counseling; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004964:Estriol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008499:Medical Records; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004964:Estriol