Serum leptin in first-trimester Down syndrome pregnancies
Paula Hedley1, Michael Christiansen
1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Prenatal Diagnosis
|April 26, 2008
Summary
Maternal serum leptin levels do not serve as a reliable first-trimester screening marker for Down syndrome (DS) pregnancies. Studies found no significant difference in leptin concentrations between DS and control pregnancies.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Leptin regulates satiety and nutritional status, with placental expression during pregnancy.
- Maternal serum leptin may be altered in Down syndrome (DS) pregnancies.
- Investigating leptin as a potential first-trimester DS screening marker.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if maternal serum leptin concentrations can serve as a first-trimester screening marker for fetal Down syndrome (DS).
Main Methods:
- Analyzed serum samples from 44 pregnancies with DS fetuses and 135 controls (gestational weeks 8-14).
- Measured leptin concentrations using immunoassay and expressed as multiples of the median (MoM).
- Compared log10 MoM leptin distributions between DS and control groups.
Main Results:
- Serum leptin showed a significant increase with gestational age in controls (p=0.02).
- Median MoM for leptin was 0.89 in controls and 0.80 in DS pregnancies, a non-significant difference.
- Leptin levels in DS pregnancies did not correlate with gestational age (p=0.32).
Conclusions:
- Maternal serum leptin is not a suitable first-trimester screening marker for fetal Down syndrome.
- Further research may explore other placental proteins for DS screening.
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