Importance of biochemical markers in placentation at the end of the first trimester

T. J. Levente, L. Puscasiu, K. S. Leo, B. L. Katalin, R. F. Francisc, S. Bela

Abstract: Our objective was to study some aspects of placental development at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy and assessment of biochemical markers in terms of placentation. We studied 64 pregnant women at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. Pregnant women were grouped according to the double test results into two groups: those with genetic risk (study group, n=7) and without genetic risk (control group, n=57). We measured the ratio between placental volume and crown-rump length, the ratio between the distance from the umbilical cord insertion site at the placenta and fundical edge of placentation and the distance between the umbilical cord insertion site at the placenta and cervical edge of placentation. We obtained biochemical data by double-test (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A and free beta human chorionic gonadotropin). The data obtained were processed with Student’s t Test and Chi-Test. We did not noticed statistically significant difference between the group with positive double-test and control group on terms of placentation by the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. Low pregnancy-associated plasma protein A values associate significantly with smaller placental volume and a small amount of amniotic fluid. Interestingly, we observed a higher frequency of eccentric umbilical cord insertion in women with pregnancyassociated plasma protein A.
Keywords: placentation, placental volume, umbilical cord, PAPP-A