title: Midtrimester maternal serum inhibin A levels after multifetal pregnancy reduction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between the maternal serum inhibin A concentrations and the number of fetuses. Further, the maternal serum inhibin A levels for twin pregnancies and multiple pregnancies reduced to twins in the second trimester were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of women with pregnancies following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer were recruited for this study. Groups 1, 2 and 3 included 20 singleton pregnancies, 37 twin pregnancies, and 35 multifetal pregnancies, respectively. In group 3, multifetal reduction was performed during 10-12 weeks of gestation. Blood samples were obtained longitudinally at 10th, 12th, 15th and 18th week of gestation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant association between the number of fetuses and maternal plasma inhibin A prior to multifetal reduction. The inhibin A levels were not significantly different between twin and multifetal reduced twin pregnancies at 15th and 18th weeks of gestation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In multifetal reduction to twin pregnancies, the maternal serum levels of inhibin A decrease to the level of twin pregnancies during the second trimester. Therefore, inhibin A may be effectively used as a marker for Down syndrome screening in cases of twin pregnancy following multifetal reduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Heng-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lee-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Kok-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.forename: Bih-Chwen
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Jiann-Loung
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chii-Ruey
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tzeng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D018607:Pregnancy Reduction, Multifetal; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C422362:inhibin A; D007265:Inhibins