Serum levels of PAPP-A and β-hCG in the first trimester of pregnancy as predictors of unfavourable obstetric outcomes at Hospital Universitario Nuestra Senora de Candelaria

Many studies have documented the association between low PAPP-A and beta-hCG values in maternal serum during the first trimester and adverse maternal-foetal effects. To assess this relationship a retrospective analysis of cases and controls was carried out, based on a cohort of patients with a single pregnancy who underwent first-trimester screening between 2017 and 2018. For the group of cases, patients with MoM levels PAPP-A and/or beta-hCG equal to or below the 5 th percentile were selected. The control group was obtained by making a randomized selection of all patients with MoM PAPP-A levels and/or alpha-hCG above that percentile. The analysis of our results showed that in groups with low levels of MoM PAPP-A and MoM beta-hCG, we observed a higher risk of developing restricted intrauterine growth than in the control group (OR: 2.7 and 3.17, respectively). In the MoM PAPP-A <= p5 group we also obtained a 3.8foldhigher risk of global hypertensive states of pregnancy (CI: 1.94-7.83) and 7.9-fold higher risk of antepartum foetal death (CI: 1.09-217.4). These two variables were not statistically significant in the MoM beta-hCG <= p5 group. Our findings confirmed that low levels of PAPP-A and beta-hCG in the serum of pregnant women are associated with a high risk of developing obstetric complications, so they could be used for their early detection and the prevention of poor obstetric results. (C) 2021 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.