DOWN’S SYNDROME
12/06/2003
DOWN’S SYNDROME
A New Technology for prenatal Screening
Screening for trisomy 21 in the second trimester of pregnancy (between 15 –20 weeks)
by measurement of maternal serum HCG, Alpha Fetoprotein and unconjugated Estriol
has been an established part of obstetric practice offering 60% detection rate for Down's syndrome.
Recently, a new immuno-diagnostic technology has been introduced for
First Trimester Screening (between 11-14 weeks) offering 90% detection rate
for Down’s Syndrome. This high detection rate cuts down dramatically the necessity
to perform invasive procedures such as Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling
(CVS) which carry a miscarriage risk of 3-10/1000.
Al Borg Laboratory is the first in the Middle East to adopt this new technology in the form of Kryptor
(using the Nobel Prize winningTRACE technology , equipment & software).
First trimester Prenatal Screening uses:
1. Maternal age
2. Maternal serum biochemical markers:
Free B HCG
Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A(PAPP-A)
3. Ultrasound biometrics measurement of fetal nuchal
translucency (NT) which needs formal training and is performed in licensed centers.
Down syndrome pregnancies usually have:
Increased free BHCG
Decreased PAPP-A
Increased (NT)
This new technology is the only method that meets the high precision-measurement
requirement and is therefore regarded as the laboratory reference method for screening
of Down’s Syndrome.
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