title: Obstetrical complications associated with first-trimester screening markers in twin pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the relation between perinatal complications in twin pregnancies and the combination of first-trimester maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and free beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG) levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at the Perinatology Department of Baskent University between January 2005 and December 2011. In total, 104 patients with twin pregnancies were recruited. The association of first-trimester maternal serum-screening markers with perinatal complications was investigated for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm delivery (before 34 weeks of gestation), pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), and growth discordance between fetuses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low serum PAPP-A (below 10th percentile) levels were not correlated with preterm labor, PIH, or IUGR in twin gestations. Elevated free β-hCG levels (>90th percentile) were linked to increased rates of PIH and small-for-gestational-age fetuses or IUGR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated first-trimester free β-hCG was related to adverse pregnancy outcomes in twin pregnancies, whereas low PAPP-A levels were not linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cantekin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iskender
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tarım
authors.forename: Tayfun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Çok
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yalcınkaya
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalaycı
authors.forename: Filiz Bilgin
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Yanık
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood; D059285:Pregnancy, Twin / Q000097:blood*; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A; C579283:PAPPA protein, human
keywords: first trimester screening; perinatology; pre-eclampsia; preterm delivery; twin gestations