Estimation of PAPP-A in Serum of Pregnant Women in the First Trimester by ELISA
Methods
Fialová L. 1 , Malbohan I. M. 1 , Soukupová J. 2 , Mikulíková L. 2 , Pelinková K. 2 , Krofta L. 3
1 1. ústav lékařské chemie a biochemie 1. LF UK, Praha 2 Ústav klinické biochemie 1. LF UK, Praha 3 Ústav pro péči o matku a dítě, Praha |
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Summary:
Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) is a large glycoprotein produced by the placenta during
pregnancy. PAPP-A is one of the major biochemical markers of Down’s syndrome in the prenatal diagnosis in
the first trimester of pregnancy. Maternal serum levels of PAPP-A in the first trimester a re significantly reduced
in a pregnancy with the foetus affected by Down’s syndrome. We assessed PAPP-A levels in the 178 serum samples
from pregnant women in the 8 th – 13 th week by two ELISA kits from DRG Instruments GmbH and Diagnostic
Systems Laboratories. The correlation coefficients vary from 0,77 – 0,94 for different weeks of pregnancy. Both
assays gave useful results, but the differences in standards and units used, in which the re sults were expressed,
did not allow direct comparison of the two tested assays.
Key words:
pregnancy – associated plasma protein A, ELISA kits, pregnancy.
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