Associations between Maternal AFP and β-HCG and Preterm Birth

Xu Wang; Ying Chen; Hualong Kuang; Rui Yang; Daozhen Chen; Ailing Chen; Yaling Feng; Jianrong Dai; Ting Wang; Yun Wang

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1677017

American Journal of Perinatology, Table of Contents

Am J Perinatol 2019; 36(14): 1459-1463
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1677017

Original Article

Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Associations between Maternal AFP and β-HCG and Preterm Birth

Xu Wang^*

¹Central Lab, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi, China

²State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

³Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

,

Ying Chen^*

¹Central Lab, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi, China

,

Hualong Kuang

²State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

³Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

,

Rui Yang

¹Central Lab, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi, China

,

Daozhen Chen

¹Central Lab, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi, China

,

Ailing Chen

¹Central Lab, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi, China

,

Yaling Feng

⁴Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Wuxi, China

,

Jianrong Dai

⁵Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Suzhou Hospital, Suzhou, China

,

Ting Wang

⁵Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Suzhou Hospital, Suzhou, China

,

Yun Wang

⁵Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Suzhou Hospital, Suzhou, China

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Objective Preterm birth (PTB) is a significant public health problem. We aimed to explore whether alpha fetal protein (AFP) or β-human gonadotropin (β-HCG) levels during pregnancy were associated with PTB in Chinese population.

Study Design The clinical data collected Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Suzhou Hospital and Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital between January 2006 and December 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 64,999 pregnant women were registered. In addition, 13,828 pregnant women were collected serum from the second trimester. The maternal serum AFP and β-HCG were measured by enzyme immunoassay.

Results In our study, the rate of PTB is 6.23%. With each unit increase of maternal AFP concentration, the adjusted odds of PTB was increased by 69.3% (odds ratio = 1.693, 95% confidence interval: 1.434–1.999, p = 0.00). We set AFP concentrations as high, medium, and low levels. When comparing with low concentration of AFP, high concentration of AFP (≥1.179 M) was positively associated with PTB with adjustment for potential confounders (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, no statistically significant associations were observed between maternal β-HCG and PTB.

Conclusion In this study, maternal AFP concentration was associated with increased risk of PTB.

Keywords

AFP - β-HCG - preterm birth - China

Full Text

References

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