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Research progress of alpha-fetoprotein testing during pregnancy |
1. Jiangsu Health Development Research Center, NHC Contraceptives Adverse Reaction Surveillance Center, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210036; 2. The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University |
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Abstract Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)is a serum glycoprotein found of human fetus. It is a carrier/transport molecule and a growth regulator, and which involves in the immune regulation, and plays an important role in the development of embryonic sexual differentiation and in the development of the female reproductive system. Over the past decades, AFP has been used as the main clinical biomarker indicator in the screening of trisomy 21 syndrome during pregnancy. In addition, recently published studies have confirmed that AFP testing during pregnancy can also play roles in the monitoring the placental function, pregnancy complications, preterm delivery, stillbirth, cerebral palsy, premature rupture of membranes, and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and in the detection of neonatal diseases early. With the development of technology, AFP testing will have a broader application in the diagnosis during pregnancy.
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