ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Ginecologica 2005 October;57(5):557-62

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

The significance of screening tests for aneuploidies in populations at low and high maternal-age-related risk

Centini G., Rosignoli L., Scarinci R., Pasqui L., Talluri B., Kenanidis A., Faldini E., Cazzavacca R., Petraglia F.

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the triple test and the screen test in maternal populations at low and high maternal-age-related risk for fetal aneuploidy.
Methods. As a whole, 9 680 pregnant women at low risk and 627 at high risk underwent the triple test; 2 780 pregnant women at low risk and 408 at high risk underwent the screen or combined test; sensitivity, specificity, false positives and detection rate were compared between populations using Student's t-test.
Results. The triple test showed a detection rate of 75% in the low and 83.3% in the high risk population with a difference (P<0.003) for detection of trisomies 21 and 18 between the 2 populations; the screen test had a detection rates of 100% and 90% in the 2 populations, respectively, with a difference (P<0.005) between the 2 tests.
Conclusion. Both tests are reliable for screening aneuploidies in the low risk population, the screen test having better performance; in the high risk population, the number of invasive procedures can be reduced by 78% with the triple test and by 84% with the screen test.