Maternal serum PAPP-A as an early marker of obstetric complications?

Fetal Diagn Ther. 2015;37(1):33-6. doi: 10.1159/000365147. Epub 2014 Aug 15.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether low first-trimester PAPP-A levels are associated with an adverse pregnancy outcome.

Materials and methods: A retrospective case-control study was carried out using a Down's syndrome assays database over a 6-year period, between the 8th and 11th week of pregnancy. There were 164 women with PAPP-A multiples of median (MoM) levels <0.3 and 1,640 women with PAPP-A MoM levels ≥0.3 who served as a control group. Outcome measures were the prevalence of miscarriages, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, pre-term delivery, gestational diabetes and intrauterine growth retardation in both groups.

Results: The two groups significantly differed only for miscarriages: 29 (17.7%) vs. 159 (9.7%), p = 0.04, OR 1.7; gestational hypertension: 15 (9.1%) vs. 74 (4.5%), p = 0.02, OR 2.1, and preeclampsia: 9 (5.5%) vs. 29 (1.8%), p = 0.02, OR 2.5.

Discussion: Even if in this study the PAPP-A cutoff considered was lower and was assayed in an earlier period compared with other studies, the detection rate for adverse pregnancy outcomes did not improve.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Diabetes, Gestational / blood
  • Diabetes, Gestational / diagnosis*
  • Down Syndrome / blood
  • Down Syndrome / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Pre-Eclampsia / blood
  • Pre-Eclampsia / diagnosis*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Outcome
  • Pregnancy Trimester, First / blood
  • Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / metabolism*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A