URINARY BETA-CORE HCG - SCREENING FOR ANEUPLOIDIES IN EARLY-PREGNANCY(11-14 WEEKS GESTATION)

Initial studies at 17-22 weeks' gestation evaluating urinary beta-core human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) as a marker for Down's syndrome h ad suggested that it may have more potential than its serum counterpar t. This study measured maternal urinary beta-core-hCG and creatinine a t 11-14 weeks' gestation in a series of 26 aneuploidies (nine trisomy 21, five trisomy 18, four 45,X0, and eight others). The normal range f or beta-core-hCG and beta-core-hCG/creatinine was derived from 198 nor mal singleton pregnancies. Trisomy 18 cases (n=5) had low maternal uri nary beta-core-hCG creatinine levels (median 0.35 MOM, range 0.08-0.82 MOM), whereas the other aneuploidies had no particular pattern; in pa rticular, the trisomy 21 cases (n=9) (median 1.16 MOM, range 0.3-4.74 MOM) did not differ significantly from 1 MOM. The findings imply that maternal urinary beta-core-hCG is not as discriminating for Down's syn drome between 11 and 14 weeks as later on in pregnancy. (C) 1997 by Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Ltd.