Clinical analysis of triple marker screening test for fetal Down syndrome in midtrimester of pregnancy-Low sensitivity of triple marker screening test.

Han, Kyoung Chul; Kim, Dae Woon; Jeong, Su Mi; Yang, Won Kyu; Park, Chul Beom; Shin, Bong Kyu; Shin, Jeong Hwan; Hong, Seo You

Original Article

Korean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 1999;42(9):1914-1918.
Published online January 1, 2001.

Clinical analysis of triple marker screening test for fetal Down syndrome in midtrimester of pregnancy-Low sensitivity of triple marker screening test.

Kyoung Chul Han, Dae Woon Kim, Su Mi Jeong, Won Kyu Yang, Chul Beom Park, Bong Kyu Shin, Jeong Hwan Shin, Seo You Hong

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To assess the reliability of triple marker screening test in midtrimester pregnancy for fetal Down syndrome. METHODS: From October 1, 1996 to May 31, 1998 at Nowon Eulji Hospital, 3700 Pregnant women underwent serum tiple marker screening for Down syndrome during 15-20weeks of gestational age. The results of serum triple marker screenig tests for Down syndrome and the outcomes of pregnancies were retrospectively assesed. RESULTS: Sixty seven of 3700 cases(1.81%) were positive in screening test, and 3633(98.18%) cases were negative. Among 67 cases of positive screening test, 1 case(1.49%) was diagnosed as Down syndrome. Among 3633 cases of negative screening test, 4 cases(0.1%) were diagnosed as chromosomal abnormalies postnatally. Two of these 4 cases of chromosomal abnormalies were Down syndrome. CONCLUSION: With this results, sensitivity of triple marker screeing test for Down syndrome is very low as 33.3%. In order to increase the sensitivity, some compensatory adjustment is required in triple marker screening test.

Key Words: Triple serum marker, Serum screen, Pregnancy outcome, Down syndrome