title: The influence of maternal opiate use in pregnancy on second trimester biochemical markers for Down syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The object of this study is to examine the influence of maternal opiate use on the levels of second trimester biochemical markers for Down syndrome. Maternal opiate use is known to be associated with problems of placental origin and it is possible that the secretion of alpha-feto protein (AFP), free-beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and unconjugated oestriol (UE) differs from that of a normal population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy nine women who used opiates in pregnancy were compared to a control group of seventy nine women who did not use opiates and their adjusted marker levels analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adjusted median MoM in the opiate and control groups respectively were: AFP (1.00 vs 0.94), HCG (0.95 vs 1.04) and UE (0.96 vs 1.02), with no significant difference between these groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that the current practice of calculating the risk of Down syndrome from second trimester biochemistry in women using opiate can be performed using data derived from a normal population.
authors.affiliation: Women and Children's Hospital, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, East Yorkshire, HU3 2JZ, England.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holding
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Purcell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tutty
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lindow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003932:Heroin; D008691:Methadone