title: Correlation of neonatal weight with maternal serum levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A during the first trimester of pregnancy: a retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate the relationship between neonatal weight and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study on 2564 singleton pregnancies with healthy term neonates in three groups of women with different values of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A who underwent the combined test during the first trimester. Non-parametric test and correlation analysis for statistical elaboration were carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There exists a correlation between the serum levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in the first trimester of pregnancy and neonatal weight. Values of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A lower than the 25th percentile are associated with neonatal weight in a significant way. There was no significant association between pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A values above 1.50 MoM and neonatal weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the positive correlation between circulating concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and fetal growth. Low neonatal weight and factors that can cause this could be determined from the first trimester by measuring the concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in maternal serum. Even if the association between the levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and a low neonatal weight has been demonstrated, however, we have to say that the sensitivity of a such screening method for the prediction of low birth weight and perinatal complications seems to be rather low. The variations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A during the first trimester cannot be used as a marker of excessive fetal growth.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Giudice
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benintende
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Di Nicolò
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mangiameli
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrara
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Randazzo
authors.forename: Irene Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Sapuppo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulisano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood*; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A; C579283:PAPPA protein, human