The Levels of Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein (PAPP-A) and Chorionic Gonadotropin (β-hCG) in the Blood Serum of Women with Hypothyroidism in the 1st Trimester of Pregnancy

Abstract

Introduction: Hypothyroidism occurs in pregnant women at a rate of 0.3% to 3%. The deficiency of thyroid hormones during pregnancy can lead to an increased risk of pregnancy complications and poor health of the child, particularly affecting its psychomotor development due to the intensive growth of the nervous system during gestation. The study attempted to establish the median concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein PAPP-A and the free subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin β-hCG in women with hypothyroidism in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Objective: The study attempted to establish the median concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein PAPP-A and the free subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin β-hCG in women with hypothyroidism in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Patients and methods: The study included 210 pregnant women between 11 and 13.6 weeks of pregnancy; 105 women were diagnosed with hypothyroidism before or during pregnancy, and 105 women of a similar body weight and gestational age had normal thyroid function.The measurements of the pregnancy parameters studied were performed using the DELFIA® Xpress system. Results: Differences in the multiples of the median of the PAPP-A and β-hCG levels between women with hypothyroidism and healthy women were observed. Conclusion: Introducing correction for patients with hypothyroidism during non-invasive biochemical prenatal testing may allow obtaining more reliable results that would be the basis for referral to invasive procedures.