CA-125 as a maternal serum marker for Down's syndrome in the first and second trimesters.

CA-125, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) were determined in maternal serum in the first trimester from 14 women with a Down's syndrome fetus and 61 women with a healthy fetus. In the second trimester, 15 and 60 serum samples were determined from women with a Down's syndrome and a healthy fetus respectively. In both trimesters, maternal serum CA-125 was found to be elevated in Down's syndrome pregnancies compared with controls. Using discrimination functions, our preliminary results indicate that CA-125 is a better marker than AFP and HCG respectively for a Down's syndrome fetus in the first trimester and improves the detection rate in the second trimester.     

Maternal serum prostate-specific antigen and Down syndrome in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. International Prenatal Screening Research Group.

It has been suggested that high levels of maternal serum prostate-specific (PSA) may be associated with fetal Down syndrome. We retrieved stored blood samples from 102 singleton Down syndrome pregnancies at 8-14 weeks' gestation and 99 at 15-22 weeks' gestation, together with samples from five unaffected singleton control pregnancies matched for gestational age. PSA was measured using an ultrasensitive assay. Contrary to earlier reports, PSA levels were similar in affected and unaffected pregnancies in both the first and second trimester of pregnancy; 1.1 and 0.9 multiple of the normal median, respectively, in affected pregnancies. There was no indication that PSA would be a useful screening marker.     

Women's knowledge of and attitudes to first and second trimester screening for Down's syndrome

One hundred women were interviewed at their first hospital antenatal visit to assess their knowledge of, and attitudes to, first versus second trimester screening for Down's syndrome. Overall, the women had limited knowledge of Down's syndrome, and the prenatal screening and diagnostic tests that are available. However, when informed, the majority of women expressed a clear preference for first trimester screening tests for Down's syndrome, regardless of the rate of miscarriage of Down's syndrome pregnancies between 10 and 15 weeks of gestation. These findings have implications for the planning of prenatal Down's syndrome screening programmes.     

Anthropometric characteristics and success rates of oral or vaginal misoprostol for pregnancy termination in the first and second trimesters

Objective

To assess the effect of anthropometric characteristics related to weight on medical pregnancy termination with misoprostol.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, 454 women admitted for medical pregnancy termination in the first or second trimester took 400 µg of misoprostol sublingually plus 800 µg of misoprostol vaginally or orally. The regimen was readministered after 24 hours if there was no response or the abortion was incomplete, and surgical evacuation was done when needed. Linear regression was performed for possible correlations between the studied characteristics and treatment process and outcome.

Results

There was no correlation between the number of misoprostol administrations and any of the studied anthropometric characteristics. The numbers of both misoprostol administrations and surgical interventions were associated with oral administration.

Conclusion

The route of misoprostol administration, but not anthropometric characteristics related to weight, were found to be associated with the success of pregnancy termination with misoprostol.     

Plasma HCG levels in patients with bleeding in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.

The prognostic value of maternal plasma human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) determinations, measured by a specific beta-subunit radioimmunoassay, was studied in 188 patients with bleeding between 6 and 20 weeks gestation. The patients were arranged into different subgroups according to ultrasound findings as well as clinical and histopathological evidence. In threatened abortion with successful outcome (50 per cent of all patients studied), the weekly mean hCG values were normal or even slightly elevated. In patients with a blighted ovum, the first hCG level measured was in the normal range in 34 per cent of the patients. In patients who aborted embryo with former life signs hCG values were generally normal before the abortion. The hCG levels were usually low in patients with incomplete abortion and ectopic pregnancy. An initially subnormal level of hCG was associated with a poor outcome of pregnancy in 92 per cent of patients. If the first hCG level was within the normal range the outcome of pregnancy was favourable in 79 per cent of patients.     

Hyperglycosylated-hCG (h-hCG) and Down syndrome screening in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: To validate Down syndrome screening protocols that include hyperglycosylated-hCG (h-hCG) measurements. METHODS: Measuring h-hCG in 21 641 fresh first- and second-trimester maternal serum samples, but not for clinical interpretation. Nuchal translucency (NT) and pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) measurements were available in the first trimester; alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) measurements in the second trimester. RESULTS: Of the 23 first- and 26 second-trimester Down syndrome pregnancies identified, 52 and 65% of h-hCG measurements were above the 95th centile, respectively. At a 3% false positive rate, maternal age, NT, PAPP-A and h-hCG detected 78% of cases (95% CI, 56-93%). Other combinations were consistent with previous modeling utilizing stored samples. A literature summary indicates h-hCG is as strong a marker as free-beta between 10 and 13 weeks' gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Down syndrome screening performance of h-hCG using fresh samples meets published expectations based on stored samples. h-hCG could replace free beta measurements, at gestational ages as early as 10 weeks.     

Combination of screening tests for fetal abnormalities in the first and second pregnancy trimesters

OBJECTIVE: Screening for fetal abnormalities in the second trimester of pregnancy, based on the concentrations of various markers in serum and maternal age, has become widely used in the past decade. In the first trimester fetal malformations are associated with high values for fetal NT. DESIGN: We propose a new screening method in which measurements obtained during both trimesters are integrated to provide a single estimate of a woman's risk of having a pregnancy affected by genetic syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study groups comprised 775 pregnant women where examinations were done between 11th-14th and 15th-19th pregnancy weeks. Nuchal translucency thickness was measured by ultrasound examination in both trimesters of pregnancy. AFP, -HCG and oestriol were measured by ELISA assays. Derived risks were then calculated. RESULTS: Eight fetal aneuploidies were diagnosed. When we used a risk of 1:250 as the cutoff to define a positive result on the integrated test, the rate of detection of fetal abnormalities was 100%, with a false positive rate of 0.6%. CONCLUSION: Integrated test, which is a combination of the ultrasound examination and the triple test allows to achieve high sensitivity and the decrease in the percentage of false positive results, which leads to the reduction in the number of amniocentesis to be performed.     

A sonographic sign for the detection in the second trimester of the fetus with Down's syndrome

Sonographic structural surveys were made at the time that 904 amniocenteses were performed for genetic evaluation in the second trimester. A sonographic sign was identified which places the fetus at high risk for having Down's syndrome.     

Screening for Down's syndrome in older women based on maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and age: preliminary results.

We report the results of screening for Down's syndrome (DS) in older women using published rate schedules based on maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) and age. Five hundred and seventeen patients aged 35 years and older, who were referred for a mid-trimester genetic amniocentesis, were first tested for MSAFP and then underwent an amniocentesis. Individual risks for DS, combining MSAFP and age, were derived using three different published rate schedules. Theoretical selection for amniocentesis was made using the cut-off level of the average collective risk for a 35-year-old woman (1:380 at live birth or 1:270 at amniocentesis). Six affected pregnancies (five with DS and one with trisomy 18), which were diagnosed prenatally, were all found to be at a higher risk than the specified cut-off. These cases would have been diagnosed in any event, using any of the published rate schedules. According to these rate schedules, between 39 and 45 per cent of the patients would be in the lower risk group and therefore would have been counselled not to undergo amniocentesis. Further studies should be conducted in order to reach conclusive screening policies for DS in older women.     

Pharmacological modulation of cervical compliance in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy

Health practitioners use many methods and agents to bring on cervical ripening in early pregnancy, such as intracervical tents and pharmacological techniques, to induce a therapeutic abortion. Prostaglandins alter myometrial and cervical tissue and are the most often used pharmacological technique. Reduced collagen concentration, an increase in water volume, an increase in prostaglandins (PGE2, PGI2, and PGF2 alpha), and a change in the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content coincide with cervical ripening, yet the mechanism responsible for these changes is obscure. Prostaglandins appear to cause the breakdown of collagen or change the GAG/proteoglycan content. Research shows that prostaglandins can initiate cervical ripening at any stage of pregnancy. Estradiol stimulates prostaglandin production thereby al so inducing cervical dilation. Relaxin also demonstrates an ability to ripen the cervix. In addition, mifepristone (RU-486) is gaining acceptance as a cervical ripening agent. In fact, RU-486 and gemeprost have at least 95% success rate compared to 92% for gemeprost alone or 85% with RU-486 alone. The only effective and acceptable prostaglandins to use at gestation of 0-8 weeks are sulprostone, gemeprost, and 9-methylene-PGE2. At t his gestational age, pharmacological modulation is all that is needed. Even though they are effective (abortion rate 90%), side effects are expected to occur (pain, nausea, and vomiting). Similarly, prostaglandin analogues are preferable for cervical ripening in women at 8-12 weeks gestation. Suction curettage or other surgical techniques then are used to remove the conceptus. At 12-16 weeks gestation, many physicians prefer the same protocol as that of 8-12 weeks gestation. Other choose to infuse PGE2 and saline into the amniotic fluid to stimulate uterine contractions. Another procedure at 12-16 weeks involves 1mg vaginal pessaries of gemeprost every 3 hours to ripen the cervix and stimulate contractions. After 16 weeks, the methods for 12-16 weeks still apply.     

Association between first trimester vaginal bleeding and uterine artery Doppler measured at second and third trimesters of pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of first trimester vaginal bleeding among patients with abnormal second and third trimester uterine artery Doppler.

Methods: A prospective study of patients with a uterine artery Doppler measurement between 27 and 42 weeks’ gestation was undertaken. A comparison was made between two groups: patients with and without first trimester vaginal bleeding. Abnormal uterine artery Doppler was defined as PI >95th% or the presence of a diastolic notch.

Results: Of the 277 patients that were included in the study, 65 (23%) had first trimester vaginal bleeding. No differences were noted in uterine artery Doppler waveforms among patients with and without first trimester vaginal bleeding.

Among patients with first trimester vaginal bleeding, 9 (14%) had a bilateral uterine artery notch and 56 (86%) did not, compared with 51 (24%) and 161 (76%), in the control group, respectively. Patients with first trimester vaginal bleeding, and a bilateral uterine artery notch had significantly higher rates of small for gestational age neonates, low-Apgar scores (<7) at one minute and cesarean deliveries compared to patients with first trimester vaginal bleeding who did not have bilateral uterine artery notch.

Conclusion: First trimester vaginal bleeding was not associated with a higher incidence of abnormal uterine artery waveforms or with placental related conditions. However, adverse perinatal outcomes were found when first trimester vaginal bleeding was associated with second and third trimester bilateral uterine artery notchs.     

Sonographic detection of placenta accreta in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ultrasonography can detect placenta accreta reliably in at-risk patients. STUDY DESIGN: All patients with a previous cesarean delivery and an anterior placenta or placenta previa were evaluated prospectively at each visit for sonographic signs of placenta accreta (interruption of the posterior bladder wall-uterine interface, absence of the retroplacental clear zone, and placental lacunae). RESULTS: This evaluation involved 2002 patients over a 12-year period. Of the 14 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of placenta accreta who had ultrasound examinations between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation, the diagnosis was suspected strongly in 86% of the patients (12/14 patients). There were 18 false-positive cases (54.5%; 18/33 patients), most of which were due to a lack of visualization of the echolucent area between the placenta and the myometrium (obliteration of the 'clear space') during the third trimester. The presence of multiple linear irregular vascular spaces within the placenta (placental lacunae) was the diagnostic sign with the highest positive predictive value for placenta accreta. CONCLUSION: Placenta accreta can be detected as early as 15 to 20 weeks of gestation in most at-risk patients by visualization of irregular vascular spaces within the placenta (placental lacunae). Obliteration of the retroplacental 'clear space' is not a reliable diagnostic sign for placenta accreta.     

Transvaginal ultrasonographic definition of the central nervous system in the first and early second trimesters

A 6.5 MHz transvaginal sector scanner was used to describe the fetal central nervous system anatomy from 6 to 14 weeks. One hundred thirty-three pregnant patients were scanned after the crown-rump measurements were found to be within a range of less than or equal to 4 days from menstrual age. The number of possible ultrasonographic sections ("slices"), as well as the number of successful views in the axial, coronal, and sagittal sections, was tabulated. A detailed list of central nervous system structures that are seen at each gestational age is presented. The results showed that a significant number of brain structures could be imaged. The number and the clarity of the structures and the number of successful views in the three scanning planes increased with gestational age. We concluded that transvaginal scanning for central nervous system maldevelopment can be started in the late first and early second trimesters.