Maternal serum and amniotic fluid levels of macrophage inhibitory cytokine 1 in Down syndrome and chromosomally normal pregnancies

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To measure maternal serum and amniotic fluid levels of macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) in Down syndrome and normal pregnancies, assessing the utility of MIC-1 as a prenatal marker of Down syndrome. METHODS: Stored serum from 64 Down syndrome and 399 control pregnancies, collected at 8 to 17 weeks of pregnancy, and stored amniotic fluid from 17 Down syndrome and 53 controls, collected at 15 to 19 weeks of pregnancy, were retrieved for analysis. MIC-1 was measured using an established in-house ELISA, blinded to sample type. RESULTS: In maternal serum, MIC-1 levels are not altered in Down syndrome in either the first or second trimester. Levels, expressed as median (95% CI)..