title: First trimester screening for Down's syndrome after assisted reproductive technology: non-male factor infertility is associated with elevated free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels at 10-14 weeks of gestation.
abstract: We retrospectively compared the first trimester Down's syndrome serum screening markers free beta-hCG (fbetahCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) at 11-14 weeks of gestation in 4,088 women with naturally conceived pregnancies and in women pregnant after ICSI (n = 163), IVF (n = 59) and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (n = 31), and we searched for a potential relationship between infertility cause and marker levels. We found lower serum PAPP-A levels in pregnancies after IVF and ICSI compared with spontaneously conceived pregnancies and non-male factor infertility was associated with elevated serum fbetahCG levels at 11-14 weeks of gestation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Hormonology and Tumour Markers, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium. Ellen.Anckaert@uzbrussel.be
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anckaert
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schiettecatte
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sleurs
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devroey
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000196:embryology / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human