title: The role of maternal serumbeta-HCG and PAPP-A levels at gestational weeks 10 to 14 in the prediction of pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to detect whether maternal serum free β-hCG and PAPP-A levels and NT measurements vary between normal pregnancies and those that subsequently develop pre-eclampsia and to evaluate the role of these screening serum analytes in the prediction of pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a case-control study design, we identified all women who had been screened by double test within 11+0 and 13+6 weeks of gestation and who had developed pre-eclampsia during the subsequent pregnancy course, over a 6-year period between January 2006 and December 2012 at two tertiary referral hospital. All women who had undergone a double test during that time, without a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and who had not had any adverse obstetric outcomes, were also identified, and three women among them were randomly selected as controls for each case. Maternal and neonatal data were abstracted from the medical records and PAPP-A, β-hCG, NT and CRL MoM values were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although β-hCG values show no statistically significant difference (p=0.882), PAPP-A levels were significantly reduced in the pre-eclampsia group compared to the control group (p<0.001). NT and CRL values showed no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.674 and p=0.558, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measuring PAPP-A in the first trimester may be useful in the prediction of pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Ozkan Ozdamar, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Golcuk Military Hospital, Golcuk, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozkan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdamar
authors.affiliation: Ismet Gun, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gun
authors.affiliation: Ugur Keskin, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, GATA Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keskin
authors.affiliation: Necmettin Kocak, MD, Department of Public Health, GATA Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necmettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kocak
authors.affiliation: Ercument Mungen, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ercument
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mungen
keywords: First trimester; PAPP-A; Pre-eclampsia.; β-hCG