OBJECTIVES Screening studies for trisomy 21 demonstrate that low maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) at 11-13 weeks' gestation is associated with stillbirth, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and pre-eclampsia in chromosomally normal fetuses. However, the strength of these associations is too weak to justify screening for these placental insufficiency syndromes. O...

OBJECTIVE To establish an algorithm for first-trimester combined screening for trisomy 21 with biochemical testing from 7 to 14 weeks' gestation and ultrasound testing at 11-13 weeks. METHODS This was a multicenter study of 886 pregnancies with trisomy 21 and 222 475 unaffected pregnancies with measurements of free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein...

OBJECTIVE We examined the potential value of the uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) in pregnancies with fetal aneuploidies and in those that developed preeclampsia (PE) with the aim of distinguishing between these complications in pregnancies with low pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A). METHODS Uterine artery PI and serum PAPP-A at 11-13 weeks were measured in 165 cases of PE, ...

Experimentally derived apparent permeabilities, Papp, through cell monolayers such as Caco-2 and MDCK are considered to be an in-vitro gold standard for assessing the uptake efficiency of drugs. Here, we present a mechanistic model that describes 'passive' Papp values (i.e., neglecting active transport) by accounting for the different resistances solutes encounter when permeating a cell monolay...

BACKGROUND Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) is abundantly expressed in carotid plaques. This study investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PAPP-A and the presence of carotid plaques. METHODS A total of 408 patients with carotid plaques and 493 controls were included in the study. All subjects were Southern Chinese Han. Carotid plaques were ...

Background: To determine whether in the era of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA), first and second trimester maternal serum analytes will be obsolete or whether they have a role in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods: Retrospective cohort study using maternal serum analyte results from first trimester and sequential screening tests from 1/2002 to 12/2012. Abnormal serum analytes included ...

The present study recruited 193 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease from Inpatient and Outpatient Departments at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical College, China from August 2008 to May 2010, as well as 120 healthy volunteers from the Medical Examination Center at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical College, China, who served as controls for this...

Intracranial artery stenosis, especially middle cerebral artery stenosis (MCAS), is prevalent in the Chinese population. Currently, few approaches target evaluating MCAS-associated plaque vulnerability. Herein we aimed to explore potential plasma biomarkers for vulnerable plaque in patients with MCAS. A total of 81 subjects who received microembolic signal (MES) detection were enrolled between ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the average within person biological variability of free-β human chorionic gonadotrophin (free hCGβ), intact hCG and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), and to establish analytical goals for the measurement of these markers when used in first trimester screening. METHODS Free hCGβ, PAPP-A and intact hCG were measured on paired first trimester samples collect...