A comparison of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein and acetylcholinesterase in the prenatal diagnosis of open neural tube defects and anterior abdominal wall defects

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Gitte Rasmussen Loft ◽  
Estrid Høgdall ◽  
Severin Olesen Larsen ◽  
Bent Nørgaard-Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Prenatal Diagnosis ◽  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Abdominal Wall ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Anterior Abdominal Wall ◽  
Alpha Fetoprotein ◽  
Abdominal Wall Defects

Comparison of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein reactivity to Lens culinaris agglutinin and concanavalin A in crossed-affinity immunoelectrophoresis: ancillary tests in the prenatal diagnosis of severe fetal malformations.

1983 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Toftager-Larsen ◽  
E Kjaersgaard ◽  
B Nørgaard-Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Prenatal Diagnosis ◽  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Concanavalin A ◽  
Lens Culinaris ◽  
Alpha Fetoprotein ◽  
Fetal Abnormality ◽  
Lens Culinaris Agglutinin ◽  
Ancillary Test

Abstract Crossed-affinity immunoelectrophoresis of alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid from 135 normal and 39 abnormal pregnancies (mainly neural-tube defects) was performed with a lectin, agglutinin from Lens culinaris. Results were compared with findings reported for another lectin, concanavalin A. Three fractions of alpha-fetoprotein were obtained by reaction with Lens culinaris agglutinin. The most weakly reactive fraction correlated strongly with the concanavalin A nonreactive fraction. With both lectins, significantly lower concentrations of these fractions were found in all samples from abnormal pregnancies than in those from normal pregnancies. In eight cases with a fetal abnormality the total alpha-fetoprotein concentrations were below the lower limit for abnormal samples. All eight samples revealed fractions weakly reactive with Lens culinaris agglutinin below the lower 0.1% limit for normal samples; seven of these samples had fractions nonreactive with concanavalin A below this limit. Although a decrease in the two described fractions in normal pregnancies was found with increasing gestational age, we find either method to be valuable as an ancillary test in the prenatal diagnosis of fetal neural-tube defects and other malformations.

Acetylcholinesterase and fetal malformations: modified qualitative technique for diagnosis of neural tube defects.

1981 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
J E Haddow ◽  
M E Morin ◽  
M S Holman ◽  
W A Miller
Keyword(s):  
Amniotic Fluid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Alpha Fetoprotein ◽  
Blind Study ◽  
Fetal Malformations ◽  
Qualitative Technique ◽  
Single Blind ◽  
Positive Results

Abstract A single-blind study involving amniotic-fluid samples from 214 pregnancies of known outcome confirms that an electrophoretically distinct isoenzyme of acetylcholinesterase is associated with fetal open neural tube defects. Furthermore, only one of 13 amniotic-fluid samples with false-positive results for alpha-fetoprotein showed the characteristic isoenzyme, indicating that qualitative acetylcholinesterase assessment can decrease the proportion of false positives from the alpha-fetoprotein assay. We have also identified this characteristic isoenzyme in amniotic fluids from pregnancies in which other serious fetal defects occurred. A detailed electrophoresis protocol for identifying this characteristic isoenzyme is described.

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