The normal range of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein in singleton midtrimester pregnancy of Korean women.

Kim, Jun Hyung; Byun, Young JI; Park, Jai Sun; Park, Jin Young; Yang, Jeong In; Kim, Haeng Soo; Ryu, Hee Suk

Original Article

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2007;50(12):1679-1684.
Published online December 1, 2007.

The normal range of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein in singleton midtrimester pregnancy of Korean women.

Jun Hyung Kim, Young JI Byun, Jai Sun Park, Jin Young Park, Jeong In Yang, Haeng Soo Kim, Hee Suk Ryu

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ajou University School of medicine, Suwon, Korea. yangji@ajou.ac.kr

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To determine normal range of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AFAFP) in midtrimester singleton Korean pregnant women whose pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were uneventful. METHODS: AFAFP levels were measured in midtrimester pregnancy during amniocentesis from May 1995 to September 2006 at tertiary referral center. Normal ranges were obtained from 954 singleton pregnancies in which pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were normal. RESULTS: Median values of AFAFP in midtrimester pregnancy were 15,800 ng/mL, 13,903.9 ng/mL, 11,408.7 ng/mL, 9,690.1 ng/mL, 6,923.4 ng/mL, 6,330.0 ng/mL, 5,295.3 ng/mL, 4,421.2 ng/mL, 3,162.5 ng/mL at 16 week, 17 week, 18 week, 19 week, 20 week, 21 week, 22 week, 23 week, and 24 week. CONCLUSION: The normal range of AFAFP level in each gestational week in Korean women could be a good reference for prenatal diagnosis of various disorders.

Key Words: Amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AFAFP), midtrimester, normal range, singleton pregnancy, Korean women