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Human Reproduction, Vol. 14, No. 3, 842-846, March 1999
© 1999 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

The contribution of maternal serum markers in the early prenatal diagnosis of molar pregnancies

E. Jauniaux1,4,5, N.A. Bersinger2, B. Gulbis3 and S. Meuris4

1 Academic Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London (UCH), London, UK, 2 University of Berne, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Berne, Switzerland, 3 Department of Clinical Chemistry, Academic Hospital Erasme and 4 Research Laboratory on Reproduction, School of Medicine, Free University of Brussels (ULB), Brussels, Belgium

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of maternal serum markers in the early prenatal diagnosis of molar pregnancies. The ultrasound features, cytogenetic and histopathological findings of 10 cases of molar pregnancy diagnosed at 11–13 weeks of gestation were compared retrospectively with the maternal serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and pregnancy-specific ß1-glycoprotein (SP1). Free ß-HCG and intact HCG concentrations were very high [>=ISOdia>=2.5 multiples of the median (MoM)] in all cases. AFP concentrations were extremely low in all cases of singleton complete moles (<=ISOdia<=0.5 MoM) and were high in one case of twin complete mole, in one case of triploid partial mole and two cases of euploid partial mole (>=ISOdia>=2.5 MoM). Serum PAPP-A and SP1 were high in complete moles. The combined use of ultrasound features, maternal serum proteins and fetal cytogenetic findings should enable the early differential diagnosis in utero and perinatal management of those molar pregnancies presenting with an anatomically normal fetus.

Key words: complete mole/partial mole/placenta/pregnancy/prenatal diagnosis

5 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Academic Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London Medical School, 86–96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK


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