ADAM12 is an effective marker in the second trimester of pregnancy for prenatal screening of Down syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the use of maternal serum ADAM12 as a second-trimester Down syndrome serum marker.


METHODS
Samples from a total of 46 Down syndrome pregnancies and 184 unaffected singleton pregnancies matched for gestational age and maternal weight were retrieved from storage and measured for ADAM12; 35 false-positive pregnancies were included among the controls to assess reductions in false-positive rates by inclusion of ADAM12 in the risk calculation of an algorithm that used alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) (double screen).


RESULTS
ADAM12 was measured and expressed as multiple of the gestation-specific median (MoM) and corrected for maternal weight. The median ADAM12 level in the affected pregnancies was 1.26 MoM compared with 1.0 MoM in the unaffected control pregnancies (p < 0.05). In unaffected pregnancies, there was a significant correlation between ADAM12 and AFP (r = 0.314) but not hCG (r = 0.018). Statistical modeling predicted that ADAM12 as a second serum marker could increase the detection rate from 48 to 85%, while reducing the false-negative and false-positive rates.


CONCLUSIONS
ADAM12 can be used as an effective second-trimester serum marker for prenatal screening of Down syndrome.
Wang
Min
M
Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China.
Lu
Shiming
S
Zhu
Yuning
Y
Li
Hui
H
D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D000072199:ADAM12 Protein; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004526:Efficiency; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000072199:ADAM12 Protein; C000606480:ADAM12 protein, human