open access

Vol 94, No 2 (2023)
Review paper
Published online: 2022-12-29
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Influence of selected factors on serum AFP levels in pregnant women in terms of prenatal screening accuracy — literature review

Joanna Glowska-Ciemny1, Marcin Szymanski1, Jakub Pankiewicz1, Zbyszko Malewski12, Constantin von Kaisenberg3, Rafal Kocylowski1
·
Pubmed: 36597745
·
Ginekol Pol 2023;94(2):158-166.
Affiliations
  1. PreMediCare New Med Medical Center, Poznan, Poland
  2. Division of Perinatology and Women’s Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, Germany

open access

Vol 94, No 2 (2023)
REVIEW PAPERS Obstetrics
Published online: 2022-12-29

Abstract

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is one of the biochemical components of the triple (T-3) and quadruple (T-4) test used so far in prenatal screening mainly for trisomy 21 (T21) and neural tube defects (NTDs). Based on many years of experience and data collected during these studies, a variety of factors have been identified that can affect a pregnant woman’s serum AFP level, and thus the risk assessment of trisomy 21 (T21) and neural tube defects. These include both unaccounted for purely medical data (e.g., from baseline information about the patient, assisted reproduction methods used, comorbidities and emerging pregnancy pathologies) and errors made during statistical analysis. Since the triple or quadruple test is usually performed between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, most scientific studies are based solely on results from this period of pregnancy — limited data are available for the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. In the era of new improved screening tests, AFP has the potential to become an independent marker for pregnancy well-being evaluation.

Abstract

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is one of the biochemical components of the triple (T-3) and quadruple (T-4) test used so far in prenatal screening mainly for trisomy 21 (T21) and neural tube defects (NTDs). Based on many years of experience and data collected during these studies, a variety of factors have been identified that can affect a pregnant woman’s serum AFP level, and thus the risk assessment of trisomy 21 (T21) and neural tube defects. These include both unaccounted for purely medical data (e.g., from baseline information about the patient, assisted reproduction methods used, comorbidities and emerging pregnancy pathologies) and errors made during statistical analysis. Since the triple or quadruple test is usually performed between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, most scientific studies are based solely on results from this period of pregnancy — limited data are available for the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. In the era of new improved screening tests, AFP has the potential to become an independent marker for pregnancy well-being evaluation.

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Keywords

prenatal screening; false positive/negative; triple/quadruple test; alpha-fetoprotein; AFP MoM; trisomy 21; neural tube defects

About this article
Title

Influence of selected factors on serum AFP levels in pregnant women in terms of prenatal screening accuracy — literature review

Journal

Ginekologia Polska

Issue

Vol 94, No 2 (2023)

Article type

Review paper

Pages

158-166

Published online

2022-12-29

Page views

2834

Article views/downloads

1212

DOI

10.5603/GP.a2022.0148

Pubmed

36597745

Bibliographic record

Ginekol Pol 2023;94(2):158-166.

Keywords

prenatal screening
false positive/negative
triple/quadruple test
alpha-fetoprotein
AFP MoM
trisomy 21
neural tube defects

Authors

Joanna Glowska-Ciemny
Marcin Szymanski
Jakub Pankiewicz
Zbyszko Malewski
Constantin von Kaisenberg
Rafal Kocylowski

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